China develops injectable ‘bone glue’ for rapid fracture repair

A research team in China has reportedly developed a new type of “bone glue” that can heal fractures within minutes through a simple injection, as per reports.

Laboratory studies suggest that the adhesive, called Bone-02, demonstrated strong safety and effectiveness. It achieved a bonding force of over 400 pounds, a shear strength of about 0.5 MPa, and a compressive strength close to 10 MPa, reported Global Times.

Experts believe it could potentially replace traditional metal implants while reducing the risks of infection and foreign-body reactions. Another reported advantage is that Bone-02 can be naturally absorbed by the body as the bone heals, eliminating the need for a second surgery.

In a related development, India’s Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) in Lucknow has developed an oral pill aimed at speeding up bone healing.

Dr Divya Singh, senior principal scientist at CDRI, had said that the innovation is significant given India’s high rate of road accidents that often result in fractures. She noted that CDRI-1500 is the first orally active fracture-healing molecule globally, with no comparable option currently available.

At present, only the BMP2 molecule has regulatory approval for fracture healing in children and adults. However, its use is limited due to high costs and multiple clinical complications, Singh added.

Both developments China’s injectable Bone-02 and India’s oral CDRI-1500 highlight growing global efforts to find faster, safer, and more effective solutions for fracture repair.

(With inputs from syndicated feed)