Wooden Bone Implants: Latvian Researchers Seek Alternative to Titanium

Author
Viktors Demidovs | Latvian Radio

April 9, 2025

research technologies

Latvian researchers plan to develop bone implants made from wood. So far, titanium has been unrivaled in this field. However, metal implants have drawbacks – they can promote repeated fractures and cause discomfort for patients. Riga Stradiņš University (RSU) is collaborating with the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry on an innovative project. Researchers from both sectors have found that there have been only a few publications worldwide on wood-based bone implants.

Viktors Demidovs/Latvijas Radio
Wood Pieces Tested for Potential Implant Development. Viktor Demidovs/Latvian Radio

In the laboratory of the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, a glycerine bath is in operation. It is a cylindrical device the size of a soup pot, where wood blocks are boiled under increased pressure at 145 degrees Celsius. The goal is to soften the wood. This process is crucial for the future development of wood-based implants.

"Why do we need this? So we can densify the wood, and it will retain its shape. By densifying, we can increase the density up to three times, which in turn increases the mechanical properties. The strength of the wood material increases three times, and depending on the type of wood, the elasticity can increase up to ten times," explained Dr. Laura Andže, lead researcher and chemist at the Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry.

The idea originated several years ago when specialists from the Latvian Microsurgery Center approached Andže with a story about a hip implant made from juniper wood, developed and patented by medical doctor Ēvalds Ezeriešs. This implant had been tested in veterinary medicine in the 1990s. However, over time, it was found that juniper was unsuitable for implants. Birch was found to be the best option, the researcher said.

"This density – hardness – is equivalent to cortical bone. Both human and animal cortical bone is the outer part of the bone. The strength of this densified wood is just as high as that of cortical bone. Therefore, we believe that the strength of our material will be sufficient for it to function as an osteosynthesis implant. Osteosynthesis is a method where a broken bone is screwed or stabilized to reinforce it, allowing the bone to heal together," Andže explained.

q50o.jpg
Glycerine Bath. Photo: Viktors Demidovs/Latvian Radio

The goal is to offer an alternative material to metal implants, which are used as screws or plates to stabilize broken bones.

"When a bone is stabilized with a titanium implant, a repeated surgery is often needed to remove the implant because, while the bone heals, the titanium implant is not accepted as part of the bone. Since wood, by its nature, is biocompatible according to other researchers' studies, the hope is that we will be able to screw it in as a screw, and as the bone heals, it will accept this implant as part of itself," explained Andže.

Researcher Andže is one of the supervisors of the doctoral dissertation of Vadims Ņefjodovs, a specialist at the Micro-surgery Centre and a PhD student at Riga Stradiņš University. He is also one of the microsurgeons who came up with the idea for such an implant. Ņefjodovs shared that the area of expertise focuses on problems related to hand bones.

"From the idea to a finished product that can be used on real patients, the path is long and consists of several stages. First, we need to prove that our material is not harmful. Right now, we are conducting experimental research with animal bones. The next stage would be working with cells. Then, we can hope that we will be allowed to conduct research on animals," said Ņefjodovs.

The researchers cannot give a clear timeline for when bone implants made from wood could be used by humans, estimating it could happen in 10-20 years. However, to reach this goal, they may need several million euros.

Recommended articles

research

Daugavpils Universitāte – a Key Research Hub in Latgale

Daugavpils University (DU) is one of the leading research centers in the Latgale region, dedicated to developing an internationally competitive research environment. The work of DU researchers not only contributes to the growth of science in Latvia but also strengthens the regional innovation ecosy…

Daugavpils University

April 25, 2025

research

There’s still time to apply for this year's fundamental and applied research project competition

Applications for the Latvian Council of Science's open competition for fundamental and applied research projects this year can be submitted until May 7th. This year, the competition has a funding pool of 17.7 million euros. Fundamental and applied research projects are funded to ensure the creat…

Labs of Latvia

April 28, 2025

research medicine

Transforming Eggshell Waste into Next-Generation Biomaterials for Bone Regeneration

Every year, tens of millions of tons of eggs are produced, of which several million tons consist of eggshells. Although eggshells are considered valueless and are mostly discarded as waste, they can serve as raw material for producing high-value-added products. As part of the European Econom…

Latvijas Zinātnes padome

April 17, 2025

technologies medicine

Artificial Intelligence Achieves 93% Accuracy in Stroke Diagnosis

The Latvian artificial intelligence solutions developer "Apply", in collaboration with radiologists Assoc. Prof. Kārlis Kupčs and Dr. Andris Veiss, has created a solution called "Sinapse", which assists the Stroke Unit of Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital (PSCUH) in detecting ischemic str…

Labs of Latvia

April 15, 2025