Repairing Broken Bones with Silk Implants

When a surgeon needs to repair a broken bone requiring screws and plates to help bond the broken sections so the fracture to heal, the "fixation devices" are usually made of metal alloys. But metal devices may have potential disadvantages. Resorbable fixation devices, made of synthetic polymers, also have some disadvantages. A third option, is silk, says a team of investigators from Tufts University School of Engineering, Medford, MA, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Boston.