Within the past two years, a product that closely mimics human bone has been developed. The product is composed of calcium and phosphate powders which are the normal constituents of human bone.
Surgeons add water to create a bone paste that can be molded and shaped.
The synthetic bone is useful for reconstructive procedures, such as replacing skull bone damaged or destroyed by trauma. One of the newest procedures that has great advantages for plastic and reconstructive surgery is bone distraction, says Barry L. Eppley, M.D., D.M.D., assistant professor of plastic surgery and oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Surgeons can cut the jawbone apart, leaving the blood supply intact. Bu turning absorbable screws, parents can painlessly extend their child's jawbone one millimeter a day, allowing time for new bone to fill the gap. In many cases, this procedure replaces the need for bone grafts, which are more extensive surgical methods.