Bioactive glass implant uses copper to fight bone infection

Led by a team at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), the study set out to find a one-step solution to kill bacteria, while at the same time promoting bone growth without using antibiotics. The result is an implant made from bioactive glass - a type of glass used for bone repair – embedded with copper particles.

Copper-doped bioactive glass in the porous scaffold implant attracts blood vessels and bone cells, accelerating bone repair. The copper ions in the implant also prevent bacteria growth. According to the RCSI team, this triple-action effect of faster healing, improved bone growth and resistance to infection is a major improvement on current treatments.

"Osteomyelitis is notoriously difficult to treat,” said first author Emily Ryan, a recently qualified PhD student in the RCSI Department of Anatomy. “Further work on the back of this research could lead to the complete development of a single-stage, off-the-shelf treatment. This in turn could reduce the need for antibiotics and bone grafting - thus also addressing issues with antibiotic resistance."