Spider silk inspires load bearing composite to help heal bones

Silk fibres spun by spiders and moths have inspired the development of a biodegradable composite that can be used to repair broken load-bearing bones.

The advance from a team at the University of Connecticut is claimed to help repair bones without the complications sometimes presented by other materials.

To facilitate the repair of a load-bearing bone, doctors sometimes install a metal plate to support the bone as it fuses and heals. This can be problematic as some metals leach ions into surrounding tissue, causing inflammation and irritation. Similarly, if a metal plate bears too much load in the leg, the new bone may grow back weaker and be vulnerable to fracture.

Seeking a solution to the problem, UConn professor Mei Wei, a materials scientist and biomedical engineer, turned to spiders and moths for inspiration. In particular, Wei focused on silk fibroin, a protein found in the silk fibres spun by spiders and moths known for its toughness and tensile strength.