One surgery instead of two? Czech scientists develop dissolving implants
Treating broken bones could become much simpler in the future. Czech scientists are developing new implants that gradually dissolve in the body, eliminating the need for follow-up operations.
Permanent metal implants often mean patients have to undergo a second operation once the bone has healed, adding time, cost and discomfort, and in some cases even causing reactions to certain materials.
Czech researchers are now working to change that. Experts at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Czech Technical University are developing biodegradable implants that gradually break down in the body, potentially reducing the need for a second surgery.
Doctoral student Jakub Fousek, who is part of the research team, explains how the material works:
“Implants often have to be removed after the tissue heals, which means another surgery. However, if the implant is made from a biodegradable alloy, the material can remain in the human body and gradually lose its function over time, decompose, and the body can deal with it naturally.”
The key lies in the material itself. The team is working with special metal alloys that slowly corrode inside the body, essentially rusting away, but without causing harm.
Jan Džugan from the research company Comtes FHT explains why the scientists chose iron as the base material:
“It is not foreign to the body; of course, we already have iron in our bodies. So in the case of corrosion and decomposition of iron-based implants, no toxic substances enter the body. These are natural elements that do not harm it.”
To produce these implants, researchers rely on advanced 3D printing technology. The components are created layer by layer from fine metal powder using one of the largest industrial printers of its kind in the Czech Republic.
Matěj Roth, who operates the machine, describes what happens inside the printer:
“If we look very closely, we’llsee that it’s molten material. The laser melts the metal powder in a very small area, which quickly liquefies and then solidifies again as the laser moves across the powder.”
The process builds each implant with extreme precision, one microscopic layer at a time.
“What we’re seeing on the screen is a visualization of individual layers, because 3D printing works by building three-dimensional parts through layering two-dimensional slices. In this case, the part will have around 1,300 layers, and we can inspect each one.”
The result is a fully formed implant, ready for further testing. Eight newly developed alloys are now entering the next phase of testing. According to Jan Džugan, they will be studied in animal models over an extended period:
“These samples will remain in the rat’s body environment for up to two years. Every six months, we will take material samples and evaluate how the degradation is progressing.”
If successful, the first biodegradable metal implants could be ready for medical use within four years.
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