Biologics:
In recent years, there has been a lot of interest in developing synthetic materials to assist the Orthopaedic Surgeon in treating trauma, recontructive surgeries, and arthroplasties. These synthetic materials or biologics are biodegradable polymers (plastics) made from specific compounds that are aborbed into the body as a part of the healing process. Biologics have an advantage over traditional fixation methods in that they never require removal. In some cases, these biologics have even been found to induce the body in healing itself.
These special biodegradable polymers are usually built from chains of organic acid molecules bonded together. With time, the material breaks down since the acids are removed from the polymer chain and the body metabolizes them into carbon dioxide and water.
While the materials and specific applications can vary, biologics are primarily used for resorbable fixation devices to attach tendons and ligaments to bone. These new resorbable materials are ideal replacements for some traditional fixation devices (i.e., pins, screws, etc.) since they are softer than metal and become absorbed during the healing process which makes them less likely to cause additional damage as some metal fixation devices have shown.
Currently, biologics are far less rigid than the traditional orthopaedic metal fixation components. For now, they are poor subsitutes for metal plates in long weight-bearing bones used to repair complicated fractures.
New research in biologics have found that these new materials can aid in tissue repair and regeneration. New research has shown that these new materials can behave similarily on skin and on other soft tissues acting as grafting material. Also, research is underway looking into the role of drug-eluting implants where a medication could be chemically bound to the implant for later release at the wound or surgical site as the implant is absorbed.
The Laurencin Laboratories at the University of Virginia are currently conducting "cutting-edge" critical research in this new science of biologics.