One injection. Three minutes. And a broken bone is whole again.
This is how ‘Bone-02’ works, the bone glue developed by a team of researchers in China that promises to revolutionize the way we treat fractures. Dr. Lin Xianfeng, an orthopedic surgeon at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital in Hangzhou, tested it on a patient with a fractured wrist: an incision of just 3 centimeters was enough to apply the substance and make the bone fragments join together within minutes, even in a bloody environment. Three months later, the bone had healed completely, without complications.
The curious part is where they got the idea: oysters. These mollusks secrete a biological adhesive capable of withstanding pressure, erosion, and salt water—something no traditional glue can match. Inspired by this, ‘Bone-02’ achieved a bonding strength of more than 180 kilograms and, unlike metal plates, your body absorbs it on its own while the bone recovers, without the need for a second surgery to remove it.
