Hot Glue Gun: A Surprising Solution for Repairing Broken Bones

Researchers have discovered that with slight modifications, hot glue guns, typically used in crafting, can effectively and affordably mend damaged bones.

While bones can often heal themselves after minor injuries, serious trauma or tumor removal may leave cavities that require a synthetic plug to stimulate bone cell growth.

Although 3D printing can create tailored scaffolding to fill these gaps, the method necessitates scanning and remote fabrication, taking at least a week. While this pre-planned approach works for worn joints, it’s unfeasible for emergency surgeries.

To tackle this issue, John Seung Lee from Sungkyunkwan University in Korea and his team have created a solution that can be employed immediately during a single procedure.

They modified hot glue guns to lower their operating temperature from above 100°C to approximately 60°C and developed biological adhesive materials composed of hydroxyapatite (which makes up 50% of natural bone) and a biodegradable thermoplastic known as polycaprolactone.

During surgery, surgeons can utilize hot glue guns to rapidly fill bone voids, enabling bone cells to access these gaps and ultimately heal the injuries permanently over time.

“It’s essentially created from a standard hot glue gun,” Lee explains. “It significantly reduces time and costs.”

Lee and his colleagues assessed the glue gun’s effectiveness by repairing a 1 cm gap in a rabbit’s femur. Twelve weeks later, samples showed no complications or signs of separation between the adhesive and the bone, with bone mass being more than double that of control animals treated with traditional cement.

Furthermore, researchers found that two antibacterial agents can be integrated into the filaments to decrease infection risk, releasing the drugs gradually to the surgical site over several weeks.

Benjamin Olivere from the University of Nottingham in the UK is investigating 3D-printed scaffolds for bone repair but expresses skepticism, suggesting hot glue guns might become a more practical alternative compared to slower scanning and printing methods.

“Is it an intriguing idea? Absolutely. Is it feasible? Yes. Do I believe it’s plausible? Yes,” he states. “However, the practical application may be a different matter.”