• Submitted by: admin
• Health and Medicine
• Science and Technology
• 06 / 22 / 2007

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Cuban scientific research has developed an effective biomaterial that is capable of reconstructing damaged bone tissue or tissue lost due to congenital causes, from trauma or other types of pathologies.

The product is now known with the trade name of Porous Coralline HAP 200, obtained by specialists at the National Scientific Research Center. The coralline is very similar to human bones both in chemical and morphological properties, and is especially useful in maxillofacial surgery, orthopedics and trauma surgery.

Dr. Ramon Gonzalez Santos, director of Chemistry at the National Scientific Research Center and head of the project of Coralline Research and Development, explained to Granma that this bio material is obtained from certain coral populations that exist in the nations marine shelf.

By means of a proprietary technology, the coral made up of calcium carbonate is transformed in calcium phosphate, the main inorganic compound of human bones.

Considered a First World product, the virtues of porous Coralline HAP 200 have been validated by its use in some 18,000 patients, after more than 12 years of clinical follow up. Approximately three percent of maxillofacial surgery with the material show non-favorable results, 5 percent in orthopedics and trauma surgery.

Dr. Gonzalez noted that production capacity at the research center is able to cope with the national demand and that the conditions exist to produce porous hydroxiapatite for municipal dental clinics and other medical services that may need it.

Nowadays this product is in use by more than 60 medical institutions of the national health care system.

One of the most recent applications of this promising biomaterial is aesthetic reconstruction of the bone forming the eye socket in persons who have lost it due to tumors or accidents, etc.

With the support of the Institute of Oceanology and other institutions from the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment, a research program was concluded that evaluated the environmental impact on harvesting the coral. The study showed that it could be sustainably harvested with no negative impact on the coral ecosystem.

The product has a medical registration certificate in several countries.

Source: By Orfilio Peláez, Granma