Bone substitutes, bone regeneration

Synthetic bone substitutes made of calcium-phosphates as defect filler still have disadvantages in their mechanical properties (in particular the brittleness) compared to transplants from bone or from the natural, endogenic bone itself. They also have an insufficient connection to the natural bone and hence possess a limited potential to support the osteogenesis.

Question:

  • How can we produce the “perfect” bone substitutes regarding handling, biomechanical and biological function on the basis of calcium phosphates and other appropriate materials?
  • Are deep extracellular Ca concentrations the trigger for heterotopic ossification (HO)?

Research partner

Prof. Ralph Müller Dr. Esther Wehrle
Laboratory for Bone Biomechanics Bone Biology
ETH Zurich AO Foundation
Zurich, Switzerland Davos, Switzerland
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