Injectable Bone isn't meant to permanently replace natural bone, just give the body time to repair. Multiple fractures on the same bone can be difficult to set and heal property. To hold the bone fragments in proper alignment, doctors place surgical pins and rods that can be painful to remove. Injectable Bone could replace the metal surgical pins currently used to help bone heal, its makers say. It won't, however, allow patients to forego plaster casts. The glue binds bone together but isn't strong enough to bear weight. Injectable Bone should sell well, said Jennifer Elisseef, a professor at Johns Hopkins University. Elisseef has her own company, Cartilix, that focuses on materials to replace broken cartilage. "There is a lot of interest in bone filler materials from clinicians and from the military," said Elisseef. RegenTec claims it will have Injectable Bone stateside within 18 months. That's an optimistic number, said Elisseef, adding that FDA approval will likely take longer than that. In the long run, Injectable Bone could also become Injectable Heart, said Quirk: "Following a heart attack...the appropriate cells could be delivered to help re-grow tissue."
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