Thermal Responsive Bone Cement for Fracture Healing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bone fixation and grafting methods face challenges such as nonunion fractures, poor blood circulation, and the risk of adjacent bone fractures due to mechanical strength, along with the need for biocompatible and biodegradable materials for delivering bioactive substances for bone healing.
Innovation Solution
A thermal responsive composition comprising a biodegradable copolymer with a structure of A-B-BOX-B-A or B-A-B-BOX-B-A-B, where A is a hydrophilic polyethylene glycol polymer and B is a hydrophobic polyester polymer, coupled with a bifunctional group monomer 2,2′-Bis(2-oxazoline, which changes from a liquid to a sol-gel at body temperature, encapsulating bone growth factors for controlled release and facilitating bone healing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If PMMA bone cement is used for bone fixation, then sufficient strength is provided for early stage fracture, but the material is non-biodegradable and causes incomplete bone union
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of bone cement by incorporating biodegradable polymers (PLA, PGA, PLGA) alongside PMMA, creating a composite material that maintains initial strength while enabling gradual degradation to support complete bone union
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite bone cement system combining non-biodegradable PMMA for structural strength with biodegradable polymers that can be metabolized by the body, allowing the material to provide temporary support while gradually being replaced by natural bone tissue
2Strength
If bone fixation devices are used for soft tissues, then fixation is achieved, but bone fragments are disintegrated and blood circulation is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical fixation devices with a chemical/biochemical system where thermal-responsive hydrogel and bone growth factors promote natural bone healing and fragmentation resorption, eliminating the need for invasive mechanical fixation that damages soft tissue and bone fragments
3Reliability
If autologous bone transplantation is performed for nonunion fractures, then bone healing is promoted, but two separate surgeries are required and donor site morbidity occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of autologous bone grafting (providing osteogenic cells and growth factors) and delivers it directly to the fracture site through a thermal-responsive composition, eliminating the need to harvest bone from donor sites and perform separate transplantation surgery
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses thermal-responsive hydrogel as an intermediary carrier that delivers bone growth factors and osteogenic components directly to the nonunion fracture site, replacing the complex two-stage autografting procedure with a single targeted delivery system
4Reliability
If bioadhesion with drug delivery is used for femoral head reconstruction, then bone regeneration is facilitated, but the material must be biodegradable to avoid removal surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls the degradation rate by adjusting the ratio and molecular weight of biodegradable polymers (PLA, PGA, PLGA) in the composition, ensuring the material degrades at an optimal rate that matches bone regeneration speed while maintaining structural integrity during the healing period
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composition promotes osteogenesis, facilitates bone regeneration, and serves as a biodegradable carrier for bone growth factors, providing a non-toxic and effective treatment for bone diseases like avascular necrosis and fractures without the need for additional surgical removal, with controlled drug release and improved bone union.
Implementation Method 1
changes from a liquid to a sol-gel at body temperature
Data Source
AI summary
Thermal responsive compositions for treating bone diseases are provided. The thermal responsive composition for treating bone diseases includes a bone growth factor and a biodegradable copolymer. The biodegradable copolymer has a structure of Formula (I) or Formula (II):A-B-BOX-B-A Formula (I)B-A-B-(BOX-B-A-B)n-BOX-B-A-B Formula (II)wherein, A includes a hydrophilic polyethylene glycol polymer, B includes a hydrophobic polyester polymer, BOX is a bifunctional group monomer of 2, 2′-Bis(2-oxazoline) and used for coupling the blocks A-B or B-A-B, and n is an integer and the same or more than 0.