The material, called LightBone, has been developed at the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin (ZUT) in cooperation with surgeons.
It is less invasive than traditional orthopedic screws, wires, and plates, hardens under light and body heat, and is later absorbed by the body as new bone tissue grows.
The technology is still at the preclinical testing stage. Researchers say it could eventually help treat complicated fractures of the wrist and ankle, where bone structures are small, delicate, and difficult to stabilize.
The project is led by materials and nanotechnology specialist Prof. Mirosława El Fray at the Department of Polymer and Biomaterials Science, part of the university’s Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering.
“We are focusing on the wrist and the ankle because these biological materials are weak,” El Fray said. “My doctor colleague compares them to pumice. With injuries, there is crushing, and the bone defects are jagged. For a hand surgeon, that is most difficult.”
LightBone is a biomaterial, meaning a material designed to interact safely with living tissue. It can be injected through a small incision and shaped to the site of the injury. Surgeons can then harden it in place, giving them more control than with some standard methods.
“A doctor can inject this material, instead of using wires, and harden it like a dental filling,” El Fray said. “Later, it can be added in layers and packed in.”
She said one of the material’s key advantages is that it does not have to be removed in a second procedure. It resorbs, gradually breaks down and is absorbed by the body, while giving way to new bone tissue.
Orthopedic surgeons have used stainless steel or titanium screws, nails, and plates for decades. El Fray said LightBone is designed for cases where those solutions are less suitable, especially in small, complex bones.
“The bones of the wrist have a different structure than long bones,” she said. “They require materials with different properties than a screw or plate.”
Researchers expect to know more about the speed of that process in about six months. In December, it will be 12 months since the first samples were implanted. So far, the team has analyzed results after six weeks in tests on rabbit bones.
“The results showed that the material stimulates tissue, and there is even greater density,” El Fray said. “We collected bone samples, and the material stabilizes the defect.”
The five-member team includes students, Dr. Gokhan Demirci and Dr. Archana Sumohan Pillai. The project is led by ZUT, with the participation of the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin and surgeons Prof. Piotr Prowans and Dr. Adam Pawelczyk.
LightBone grew out of research financed by the National Science Centre (NCN), including an OPUS25 grant. OPUS is a competitive funding program for research projects in Poland. The funding helped the team create a prototype ready for use in living organisms.
The biomaterial has also been submitted to the PRIME Project, a Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) program supporting the commercial use of research. The program is financed through European Funds for Smart Economy.
ZUT researchers have prepared a commercialization concept, market strategy, and implementation plan for LightBone. The technology recently won the Idea Challenge at Carpathian Startup Fest 2026 in Jasionka, near Rzeszów, where 175 teams from across Poland competed.
A patent application for LightBone was filed in September 2025. The material may have dual use, meaning it could be applied in civilian medicine and in military medicine, including the treatment of trauma injuries. Several years of clinical trials will still be needed before it can reach patients.
“We would like to license this patent and the research results,” El Fray said. “There are Polish companies working in this area, developing bone-substitute products.”
(rt)
Source: PAP