Mar 7, 2014 | Weekly Articles
A recent study says that screws made out of silk can help broken bones.These are known to fasten fractured bones together just as well as metal and polymer screws.
Researchers were looking out for biodegradable alternatives to avoid stress shielding and corrosion. Metal increases risk of infection, and its inability to degrade in the body usually means a second operation is needed to remove the pieces. If the metal corrodes it has to be taken out and there are chances that the fracture has not even healed. Synthetic Polymers can trigger inflammation.
The fact that Silk materials maintain structural stability under very high temperatures, withstand extreme conditions, can be readily sterilized and that it is bio-degradable, gives these an edge over the other materials used.
