Aerospace Ceramics and Bone

BioMedical Enterprises, Inc. (BME) and NASA Ames Research Center (NASA ARC) are developing NASA's aerospace insulation materials for use as an osseous scaffolding to facilitate and support bone wound healing and regeneration. Fibrous reusable composite insulation (FRCI) developed by NASA for use on the space shuttle was modified to promote bone ingrowth and will be evaluated for its ability to form a living composite. The program's objective is to determine if the resulting structure of bone and tile are sufficiently strong for medical use. Initial studies by BME have shown these materials to be biocompatible. A more porous FRCI-M is has been developed and is sufficiently porous to conduct bone ingrowth and is as strong as the original flight certified materials. It is estimated that 800,000 patients per year would benefit from a better bone substitute. This material would be used to treat trauma in civilians and military personnel and to reconstruct bone defects. Anticipated Benefits: The military benefits in supporting the development of aerospace ceramics as a bone replacement is improved battlefield trauma care. The use of advanced aerospace materials in a broad number of applications would reduce the overall cost of radoms, exhaust nozzles, wing flaps and other flight systems that are fabricated from advanced ceramic composites. Additional manufacturing capability to support medical needs would be available in case of a National emergency. The private sector would benefit by addressing 1.2 million maxillofacial and musculoskeletal surgical manipulation of bone procedures that could benefit from a synthetic bone.