Purdue University researchers are devising a way to fabricate better artificial bones using carbon nanotubes to mimic the natural fiber-like structure of real bone. From Technology Review:
"The researchers' petri-dish experiments show that orienting artificial joint material nanotubes in the same direction made bone cells attach better to the material. It also stimulated the growth of more new bone tissue, which is important for anchoring implanted artificial joints. Finding better artificial joint material is motivated in part by the 15-year lifespan of today's artificial joints."
