Broken Bones Bonded in 3 Minutes... Medical Adhesive Developed

Development of "Bone-02": Strong Adhesion Even in Blood
Biodegradable Material Absorbed Within Six Months

A Chinese research team has developed a new type of medical adhesive capable of bonding broken bone fragments in just three minutes, and has now entered the clinical research phase. Attention is focused on whether this innovation can overcome the limitations of conventional metal fixation techniques.

X-ray image before surgery and X-ray image 3 months after surgery. CCTV

According to Chinese state-run CCTV and Xinhua News Agency on September 12 (local time), the orthopedic research team at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, announced that their independently developed bone adhesive "Bone-02" has been successfully registered for a multicenter, randomized controlled clinical trial. The team confirmed its safety and efficacy in trials involving more than 150 patients.

Professor Pan Xunwu, who led the research team, explained, "Traditional fracture treatment involves fixing bones with metal plates and screws, but it is difficult to align small bone fragments, which prolongs the surgery time." He added, "Some bone is lost during this process, negatively impacting the patient's quality of life." For years, scientists and clinicians have researched bone adhesives, but two critical technical challenges-biological safety and adhesive strength in liquid environments-had not been overcome.

To address this, Professor Pan Xunwu and his team drew inspiration from oysters, which can firmly attach to structures underwater, and began their research in 2016. Through hundreds of experiments and animal tests, they gradually solved the challenges of minimizing biotoxicity, ensuring adhesive strength in blood environments, and improving surgical convenience.

New Technology Surpassing the Limits of Metal Fixation

Appearance of the BON 02 product kit. Tencent

Experimental results showed that Bone-02 demonstrated adhesive tensile strength capable of withstanding over 180 kilograms, proving its potential as a replacement for metal fixation devices. Notably, it was confirmed that even in highly vascular surgical sites, bone fragments could be precisely fixed within 2 to 3 minutes. In addition, since it is made from biodegradable materials, it is naturally absorbed by the body about six months after the bone heals. As a result, the second surgery required with traditional metal fixation is no longer necessary, which is considered a major advantage.

In fact, one patient with a comminuted wrist fracture who participated in the Bone-02 adhesive injection experiment received the adhesive through a minimal incision of just 2 to 3 centimeters, and the fracture was fixed within three minutes. With the conventional method, a large incision would have been required to insert a metal plate and screws, followed by another surgery a year later to remove them. After three months of follow-up, the patient's bone had healed well without complications, and full wrist function was restored.

Lin Xianfeng, a member of the research team, stated, "Bone-02 is suitable for treating fractures of all sizes and body parts, especially small bone fragments that are difficult to fix with existing tools." He added, "Thanks to its rapid adhesive strength and ease of use, it is expected to be utilized for emergency fracture treatment in special situations such as military operations or disaster relief."