Glass may not seem like a natural choice for replacing bone, yet the two materials share surprising similarities in structure and strength. Bone and glass both bear weight more effectively than they withstand stretching, but conventional glass lacks the bioactivity needed to sustain living cells. Researchers have now created a low-cost, 3D-printable version of bioactive glass that could serve as a scaffold for bone growth and repair.

The new material was developed by researchers at Dalian University of Technology (Dalian, China) by combining oppositely charged silica particles with calcium and phosphate ions, both known to stimulate bone cell formation. Unlike other 3D-printable glasses, this formula avoids toxic plasticizers and does not require extremely high fusing temperatures. Once printed into shape, the bio-glass is hardened at a relatively low 1,300°F (700 °C), making it more practical and adaptable for medical use.

The research team tested the material in rabbits with skull damage, comparing it against a plain silica glass scaffold and a commercial dental bone substitute. The commercial product initially grew bone faster, but the bio-glass sustained growth longer and supported robust cell attachment over eight weeks. In contrast, the plain glass showed little to no bone growth, according to the study findings detailed in ACS Nano.

This advance shows that bone substitutes can be designed with bioactivity and printability in mind, offering a path to personalized, patient-specific implants. By leveraging the 3D-printing process, doctors could one day produce scaffolds tailored to exact defects in size and shape. The technique also opens the possibility of creating engineered tissues that integrate seamlessly with the body.

Going forward, the researchers believe their bio-glass could find applications not only in orthopedics and dentistry but also in broader fields of medicine and engineering. They describe their process as simple, scalable, and low-cost, which are qualities that could help expand global access to advanced bone repair technologies. Future work will aim to refine the material’s performance and explore clinical trials.

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