A Medical Device Daily

Biomedical engineers at the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC; Houston) are leading a multi-institution initiative to produce a biocompatible compound designed to mend serious leg fractures and reported they have been awarded $5.2 million in initial funding from the U.S. Department of Defense.

The funding would go toward developing "fracture putty" that could be used to regenerate bones shattered by roadside bombs or other explosive devices.

This type of injury is called a non-union fracture and generally will not heal in a timely manner. It frequently can lead to limb amputation. The total value of the effort, if all phases of the development program are completed, could be up to $7.9 million.

The DOD agency funding the project, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, sponsors revolutionary high-risk, high-payoff research that bridges the gap between fundamental discoveries and their military and civilian use.