Novel adhesive polymeric membranes for binding degradable composite materials to bone in craniomaxillofacial repair

面部和颅骨畸形（颅颌面畸形，CMF）可由高度撞击创伤、先天性畸形或肿瘤引起，可导致功能残疾和身体缺陷。就像一个破碎的花瓶，骨折的CMF骨骼需要对齐和稳定的多个部分，以成功重建。在重建手术中，通常使用钢板和螺钉，并发症发生在所有病例的一半以上。研究人员一直致力于开发一种用于颅骨外科重建的复合材料（骨带）。这个概念是一种类似强力胶带的装置，可以粘附在骨骼上，用于重新连接骨折碎片，并保持它们稳定，直到它们愈合。复合材料的特性提供了强度，多功能性和易用性的独特组合，胶带的灵活性允许包裹和粘合到骨骼中发现的复杂骨骼轮廓。这种复合材料也是由一些材料制成的，这些材料在骨折愈合后会随着时间的推移而最终（而且是安全地）再吸收，只留下修复后的骨头。在与工业界一起开发这一概念时，临床医生使用了一些商业化的牙科骨替代品，这些骨替代品是不可降解的，可能会产生外科医生希望被再吸收和消除的残留颗粒。因此，需要一种具有适当物理、表面和生物相容性的可降解粘合剂聚合物的概念，该聚合物可以与复合材料相界面。本课题的研究将为研制可降解的有机高分子胶粘剂奠定基础.我们的临床和科学团队致力于将新型粘合剂沿着当前的复合材料应用于实践，以改善治疗和结局，减少并发症，改善严重CMF损伤和畸形患者的生活。

Deformities of the face and skull (craniomaxillofacial, CMF) can result from high impacttrauma, congenital malformations or tumours, which can lead to both functional disabilitiesand physical disfigurement. Much like a shattered vase, the fractured CMF skeleton requiresalignment and stabilization of multiple pieces for successful reconstruction. In reconstructivesurgery, generally using plates and screws, complications occur in up to half of all cases. Theinvestigators have been working on the development of a composite material (Bone Tape)for skull surgical reconstruction. The concept is a strong duct tape like device that canadhere to bone and be used to reattach fractured pieces and hold them stable until they heal.The properties of the composite offer a unique combination of strength, versatility and ease ofuse, with the flexibility of tape allowing wrapping and bonding to the complex bone contoursfound in the skeleton. The composite is also made of materials that will eventually (andsafely) resorb over time after the fracture has healed, leaving only the mended bones behind.In developing this concept with industry, the clinicians used some commercial dental bonecements that are not degradable and may generate residual particulate which the surgeonswould prefer to be resorbed and eliminated. Hence, there is a need for the conception of adegradable adhesive polymer with appropriate physical, surface and biocompatibilityproperties that can interphase with composites. This project will ultimately provide thefoundation for such a degradable organic polymer adhesive. Our clinical and scientific team iscommitted to translating the novel adhesive along with current composites into practice, inorder to improve treatment and outcomes, with less complications and better lives for thoserecovering from serious CMF injuries and deformities.