New Advances Aid Bone Repair

Use of bone morphogenetic protein may start as a paste that would be implanted as a substitute for a bone graft. With further research, doctors someday may be able to inject the protein to the fracture site to help bones heal in less time. Another potential use is in spinal fusion procedures.

"If it becomes possible to use this protein with minimally invasive surgery, the potential for complicated surgeries to be performed on an outpatient basis in the future would become a reality,” noted Dr. Einhorn, who is chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery at Boston University School of Medicine (MA, USA).

In the future, regulated gene therapy may be used to fight the decreased bone mass and poor bone quality that occur with osteoporosis. A "gene cassette” carrying the coding to fight the disease could be activated by a mild antibiotic in the form of a pill.