Replacement Bones

Growing replacement bones from stem cells to replace damaged or broken bones in the human body is becoming an exciting field. There are several researchers currently working on development of a procedure for creating the bone material, crafting it into the correct shape, and then filling it with bone marrow and other cells to get it to become like a real, living bone. Researchers at Columbia University are working with a "bioreactor" chamber that allows the new bone to flourish and grow. The cells that are put into the bone are taken from the patient to minimize the risk of immune response. Working along the same lines, researchers at Michigan are working on allowing the bone to be put directly into the patient's body, citing that the human body is the best incubation chamber available for a new tissue.
Independent researchers and experts agree that the greatest challenge is to keep the new bone alive and properly integrate it; the challenge of creating new bone in the correct size and shape is almost a routine process now. The method most commonly being used is taking a high resolution CT scan of a normal, healthy bone, and allowing a computer to cut out this digital shape from a block of bone material using a laser. This method allows absolute precision when sculpting the bone. In the future, it will be possible to craft all bones in the body, from the femur to the bones of the inner ear.
I found this article especially interesting because I didn't know it was possible to simply create a bone framework and then inject existing bone marrow cells into it, and have the bone flourish. Obviously it has to be under the right conditions, but still, the idea of being able to do this will completely replace having to have pins or titanium plates on bones.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/health/research/28novelties.html?ref=research

David Szafron