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# Bioabsorbable biomaterials for use in long-bone regenerative medicine
- URL: https://www.plasticsiq.com/bioabsorbable-biomaterials-for-use-in-long-bone-regenerative-medicine/
- Published: 2026-10-30T11:19:51.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-30T11:19:51.000Z
- Author: Giulia Daniele
- Tags: BP&R Magazine, Medical, Insights

*Long-bone fractures are a major healthcare problem because of their high incidence, cost and associated complications. Susana Herrero Oliva, Researcher at* [*AIMPLAS*](https://www.aimplas.net/?ref=plasticsiq.com)*, Plastics Technology Centre, explores this in depth.* 

Long-bone fractures are one of the most significant conditions because of their high incidence and the major functional and economic consequences they entail. The burden associated with fragility fractures in Europe exceeds that of many chronic diseases. Each year, 1,194,000 osteoporotic fractures occur in men and 2,298,000 in women in the European Union. In Spain, more than 280,000 new fragility fractures are recorded annually (782 per day), with healthcare costs exceeding EUR 4 billion. This cost is expected to increase by more than 30% by 2030, reaching EUR 5.5 billion. 

Many fractures can be stabilised through external immobilisation – casts or splints – particularly in simple or non-displaced cases. However, for complex, unstable, displaced fractures, or those located in areas subject to high loads, these measures don’t ensure correct alignment or bone union. In such situations, prostheses or internal fixation devices are required, including intramedullary nails, screwed plates, locking plates and other osteosynthesis devices that adapt to the geometry of long bones and provide adequate mechanical stability.

Most of these implants are made of surgical stainless steel or titanium alloys, materials selected for their high fatigue strength, stiffness, durability and biocompatibility. However, because they are temporary devices, prolonged retention can lead to complications. Manufacturers themselves recommend removal once the implant has fulfilled its purpose to avoid problems such as breakage, corrosion, migration, difficulties in paediatric bone growth, physiological or psychological reactions, pain, bone damage in the event of an accident or interference with imaging techniques.

The removal of metal plates after bone union accounts for approximately 30% of all orthopaedic surgical procedures. Although it is a common operation, it’s not free from significant risks. Several studies show that even when bone union is radiographically complete, implant removal alters load distribution in the bone. While the plate remains implanted, it absorbs some of the loads that the bone should physiologically bear, inducing a phenomenon known as stress shielding. Because the bone is subjected to less mechanical demand, it loses density and its microarchitecture changes while its mechanical strength decreases.

After plate removal, the bone must readapt to supporting the full load, a process that is not immediate. Bone remodelling continues after radiographic union, and screw holes or areas altered by the plate form weak points that increase the risk of refracture in the following weeks. Clinically, implant removal may also interrupt ongoing repair processes, causing pain or new discomfort.

These risks are compounded by those inherent to surgery: damage to nerves or blood vessels, infection, bleeding, or difficulties removing the implant when screws are worn or have become excessively integrated. In complex fractures, removal may even compromise bone alignment or stability if full strength has not yet been restored. In addition, this second operation places an added psychological and economic burden on both the patient and the healthcare system.

Bioabsorbable materials are proposed as an alternative to traditional materials because they degrade and are completely absorbed, eliminating the need for removal. They may be organic, such as polymers, or inorganic. Bioabsorbable polymers such as PLA, PLGA and PCL have been widely used in temporary implants, fixation screws and devices for sports or maxillofacial surgery. They offer the advantage of degrading into biocompatible products that the body can metabolise, thereby avoiding subsequent removal surgery. 

However, they also have limitations: their mechanical properties are weaker, and they may not provide sufficient stiffness to stabilise areas exposed to high forces. Inorganic bioabsorbable implants, such as those made from magnesium, degrade rapidly in the biological environment, causing a loss of mechanical properties and changes to the biological environment through toxic effects arising from side reactions and the accumulation of corrosion by-products. Developments are required to achieve strict control of the corrosion rate in line with the repair and healing processes of the affected bone tissue.

In addition to the shortcomings of currently available bioabsorbable materials, other limitations hinder their use. For example, design techniques and criteria often assume that material properties are constant and that materials have high mechanical strength. As a result, bioabsorbable materials, which have lower mechanical properties and high reactivity, are incompatible with procedures requiring implants of major structural relevance.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/34/28/3428fdf9-74dc-4cfd-9519-e5e23a7ca0e0/content/images/2026/10/imagen-fractura-hueso-largo_cmyk.jpg)

AIMPLAS has been working for over 20 years on the development of biomaterials for implant applications, including UHMWPE developments for knee and hip prostheses, custom prostheses, thermoresponsive bioadhesives based on PLA-PEG-PLLA copolymers for nerve conduits using microtubes and injectable, biocompatible, biodegradable and resorbable rectoprostatic spacers.

Building on this experience, AIMPLAS is participating in the BAMPI project, coordinated by BRECA Health Care S.L. BAMPI aims to develop bioabsorbable implants with specific structural requirements for treating complex long-bone fractures, avoiding removal surgery for current metal implants and validating efficacy through in vitro and in vivo testing. The project advances personalised and precision medicine through innovative biomaterials and advanced manufacturing technologies.

Within this framework, BAMPI focuses on developing customised implants made from organic-inorganic hybrid bioabsorbable biomaterials designed to meet the structural demands of major bone surgery. In addition to advances in biomaterials, the project includes the design of methodologies for highly structural customised implants, supported by computational segmentation models that generate automatic designs from medical images and optimise biomaterial consumption without compromising mechanical performance.

The project is also implementing an advanced manufacturing system based on 3D-printing technologies, adaptable to different products while ensuring reliability and regulatory compliance. The new materials will be evaluated through in vitro and in vivo tests at histological, histochemical, immunohistochemical, rheological, biomechanical, genetic, functional and chemical levels to guarantee their biosafety and efficacy.

Through this multidisciplinary consortium, advanced biomaterials, design methodologies, simulation and structural optimisation of customised implants, new medical-image segmentation tools, 3D additive-manufacturing technologies, and technical, functional, economic and regulatory validation will be developed. The expected impact includes significant scientific and technological advances, socioeconomic benefits for patients and healthcare systems, and a major contribution to the development of personalised medicine and bioengineering.