How Curved Are Your Bones? Smart Bones Can Minimize Fracture Risk
An interesting study from the Royal Veterinary College in London has provided insight that smart bones can evolve and regulate its shape to minimize risk of fracture.
The results, published in Science Advances and reported here, indicate that the bone’s responses to physiological forces is not related to mechanical stimuli, but rather, is length dependent and “highly targeted” for load predictability.
How Could Dinosaur Bones Support Such a Massive Load?!
The world’s biggest tyrannosaurus rex is believed to have weighed 9.8 tons, or 19,500 lbs.
Once the question, ”so, how do you even weigh a dinosaur” is addressed, the second natural question to ask is “how could their bones support such a massive load?”
New research recently published in PLOS ONE addresses the latter.
Scientists Synthesize Jawbones From Pig Fat
From stresses imposed during mastication to facial expressions associated with speech production, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is one of the most load-bearing organs in the human body. It’s intricacies and unique curved shape pose challenges to recreate from bone grafts.
In a paper published in Science Translational Medicine this month, researchers at Columbia University managed to grow replacement jawbones, along with their joints….from the stem cells of pigs!