Coating ‘speeds up bone growth’

Coating hip implants and bone grafts with a new polymer could lead to a better and speedier recovery for patients, scientists believe.

Developed by biomedical engineers at the University of Glasgow, the technique can help stimulate “growth factors” – molecules that help the body to regenerate.

It would see hip implants and bone grafts coated in a thin layer of the polymer to encourage quicker fusing.

A growth f a c tor moleculeknownasBMP2 has been used in such treatments for several years to help encourage bone regrowth but large doses can cause harmful side-effects.

Researchers from the university’s Institute of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology and School of Engineering found a unique property of the polymer poly(ethyl acrylate) allows growth factors to be effective at doses around 300 times lower than currently possible, reducing the risk of side-effects and the potential cost of treatment.