Researchers produce bone substitutes from eggshells

Hyderabad: Researchers of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT) Jalandhar have developed a process by which bone implant materials can be synthesized from waste eggshells. The research seeks to produce bone substitute materials such as I-tricalcium phosphate (I-TCP), a commonly-used bone substitute material from natural sources, without the use of toxic chemicals, IIT Hyderabad said on Wednesday. Eggshells are made of largely calcium containing minerals (95.1 per cent) along with small amounts of proteins and water. The use of graft materials to heal bone defects has been known for a long time. Sushruta Samhita, an ancient Sanskrit text on medicine and surgery, describes ‘Asthipoorana’ or bone grafting in which materials having calcium were combined with the latex of the banyan tree to form bone substitutes. In modern medicine, damaged and missing bones are replaced with bone from either patient or donor or using artificial materials containing calcium, such as Plaster of Paris, and more recently, phosphate compounds like hydroxyapatite and calcium phosphate. (IANS)

Also Read: DSLR cameras vulnerable to malware attacks: Researchers

Also Watch: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal hoisted the National Flag at Khanapara Veterinary Field