Healing Broken Bones in a Snap

HANNAH LANGFORD
Its a fact that most of us will break a bone sometime in our lifetime. You hear a pop, a snap, or a crack.
You get x-rayed, and eventually casted. Ah yes, those lovely fiberglass or plaster casts we haul around
for weeks, the only high point being our friends adorning it with get-well wishes. We search for pencils
or hangers to help reach that itch inside the cast, we search for plastic bags to cover it while we shower,
and we search for scents to mask the undeniable odor, yet we dont search for an alternative.
Fortunately, two new inventions, the Cortex and Osteoid casts, have the potential to create a much
more modern and practical cast, with the possibility of speeding up the healing process as well.
The current casting method has been used for centuries, with the basic idea of applying a pliable
polymer which undergoes a chemical reaction and quickly stiffens, immobilizing and stabilizing the
fracture. Having been casted multiple times myself, the problems with these casts are easy to see.
Theyre bulky, heavy, not water-proof, unhygienic, itchy, and non-recyclable. Yes, the traditional casts
are low cost and low tech, but it that really worth all of the disadvantages?
Now I introduce to you the Cortex cast, an entirely new means of healing bones invented by Jake Evill.
This innovative design is 3-D printed based off of an x-ray and 3-D scan of the injured area. Then a
computer, using parametric modeling, determines the optimal pattern and structure of the cast, with
denser material focused on the fractured area which ensures a more reliable means of healing.

The Cortex cast is made of polyamide nylon plastic, which is what

most 3-D printers typically use. This polymer is strong and light enough to hold a robust structure
without being bulky. Additionally, this cast is waterproof, can be recycled, and, because if its unique
netted structure, is breathable and hygienic. Utilizing the traditional 3-D material in this way offers the
opportunity to make those horrid casts weve come to hate with a passion a thing of the past.
Now, so far, it seems this Cortex cast is the perfect solution, however, as all cheesy infomercials say,
But wait, theres more! Based off of the Cortex cast, another cast has recently been invented called
the Osteoid cast. This cast takes the Cortex one step further by adding an ultrasonic device to speed the
healing process. According to Deniz Karasahin, the inventor, and his team state that, Low intensity
pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) systems have already been found to promote bone fracture healing and can
reportedly increase healing rate in non-union breaks by 80%. 80 percent, people!

Furthermore, an article written by Stephen Luntz, an accomplished science journalist, states that,
Pulses of sound waves too high frequency to hear have been shown to increase the incorporation of
calcium ions in cultures of cartilage and bone cells, as well as increasing the expression of genes known
to assist in healing. Basically, the ultrasound waves speed up the bodys natural repair process. Since
the effects of LIPUS are hard to measure, the successes of this technique have varied, but this cast is a
promising new invention we should get accustomed to.

We know how 3-D printers can create neat little trinkets, but these inventions show how 3-D printing
can be a great fit for orthopedic practices as well.
Even though these new creations may seem practically perfect in every way, there is just one flaw: its a
lot harder to get friends to sign it.