Program Manager: COL Geoffrey Ling, M.D., Ph.D.
 Traumatic
battlefield wounds such as compound bone fracture
are very difficult to treat, often requiring
multiple surgeries and long healing and rehabilitation
times. Amputations are not uncommon. Current
treatments employing bone screws, plates, and
rods are deficient and can themselves lead to
further complications.
DARPA seeks to create a dynamic putty-like material
which, when packed in/around a compound bone
fracture, provides full load-bearing capabilities
within days, creates an osteoconductive bone-like
internal structure, and degrades over time to
harmless resorbable by-products as normal bone
regenerates.
“Fracture Putty” could rapidly restore
a patient to ambulatory function while normal
healing ensues, with dramatically reduced rehabilitation
time (and the elimination of infection and secondary
fractures).
The goals of the Fracture Putty Program are
ambitious but, once achieved, would have a revolutionary
impact on wound healing. This program is
the ultimate convergence of materials science,
mechanics, and orthopedics.
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