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Review Article Plastic and Aesthetic Research

Nanotechnology applications in

osteodistraction

Adam E. Singleton , Jon P. Ver Halen 2,3,4
1
1 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
2 Division of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery, Baptist Memorial Healthcare Corporation, Memphis, TN 38120, USA.
3 Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
4 St Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
Address for correspondence: Dr. Jon P. Ver Halen, Division of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Hand Surgery, Baptist Memorial Healthcare
Corporation, Memphis, TN 38120, USA. E-mail: jpverhalen@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Most current strategies for bone regeneration have relatively satisfactory results. However, there are
drawbacks and limitations associated with their use and availability, and even controversial reports
about their efficacy and cost-effectiveness. The induction of new bone formation through distraction
osteogenesis (DO) is widespread clinical application in the treatment of bone defects, limb deformities,
and fracture nonunions. However, a lengthy period of external fixation is usually needed to allow
the new bone to consolidate, and complications such as refracture at the distraction gap often occur.
Although various biomaterials have been used as injectable delivery systems in DO models, little has
been reported on the use of nanobiomaterials as carrier materials for the sustained release of growth
factors in bone regeneration. One area of focus in nanotechnology is the delivery of osteogenic factors
in an attempt to modulate the formation of bone. This review article seeks to demonstrate the potential
of nanobiomaterials to improve biological applications pertinent to osteodistraction.

Key words:
Bone regeneration, distraction osteogenesis, nanobiomaterials, nanoparticles, nanotechnology

INTRODUCTION large quantities of bone using local host tissues stimulated
by mechanical distraction forces. After an osteotomy
The most common form of bone regeneration is the continuously enlarging gap is filled with living bone
fracture healing, during which the pathway of normal via intramembranous ossification of the newly built
[2]
fetal skeletogenesis is reactivated. However, with bone. The main advantage of DO is that it can achieve
[1]
substantial loss of bone tissue the regenerative process regeneration of living bone with the same strength and
is compromised, as is seen in cases of avascular necrosis width as that of the native bone. Peripheral nerves,
and osteoporosis. These challenging situations often vessels, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and skin are also
necessitate the augmentation of natural bone repair. gradually lengthened in proportion to the lengthening
bone. DO has been widely used for the treatment of
[3]
Distraction osteogenesis (DO) is a method of producing
leg-length discrepancy, nonunion, traumatic bone defect,
deformity, musculoskeletal tumor and osteomyelitis. [4]
Access this article online
Quick Response Code: Recent discoveries have highlighted that nanotechnology
Website: may universally augment all materials used for
www.parjournal.net [5]
regrowing bone. Nanotechnology, a new focus in the
area of biomedical research, involves the visualization,
DOI: manipulation, and fabrication of materials on the smallest
10.4103/2347-9264.135534 scales, in dimensions of 1 µm down to 10 Å. The unique
feature of this nanotechnological approach is that it enables
Plast Aesthet Res || Vol 1 || Issue 1 || Jun 2014 5