Scientists have used plant cellulose to develop a strong, lightweight sponge that could be used as bone implants of the future.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and McMaster University in Canada have developed an airy, foamlike substance that can be injected into the body and provide scaffolding for the growth of new bone.
It is made by treating nanocrystals derived from plant cellulose so that they link up and form an aerogel that can compress or expand as needed to completely fill out a bone cavity.