Nanotechnology in Fracture Management

Nanomaterials have extended numerous advantages in fracture management in terms of providing mechanical strength, biocompatibillity, biointegration, customizable porosity, recruitment of cells and growth factors for faster healing, antimicrobial action to prevent infection, etc. Nanomaterials can be employed for orthopedic intervention in different forms such as membrane, rods, plates, screw, wire, etc. Nanomaterial-based implants, apart from enhancing fracture healing efficiency than their conventional counterpart, also facilitate targeted delivery as well as sustained release of the loaded drugs and biologicals which is certainly an important attribute not only for the well-being of companion and farm animals but also has immense potential in fracture management of old or compromised animals or animals of wild origin where the option of day to day care is limited. Various nanomaterials in solo or in combinations as composites such as metal-based NPs, polymeric NPs, carbon-based NPs, ceramic, and silicon-based other NPs have shown ample potential for such cases. However, before commercialization, extensive study is required to eliminate the toxicity issues and establish proper safety profile in organ to organ basis. Despite stringent regulation for nanointervention in biomedical application, recently various nanoparticle-based formulations/implants have obtained FDA approval for fracture treatment that enhanced the hope regarding success of the strategy. Combination of emerging 3D fabrication technology along with the advent of novel nanomaterials can effectively resolve several age-old issues of conventional therapies and can be a boon for developing devoted membranes or implants for veterinary application that battles the major challenges of enormous diversity of animal species as well as wide array of bone size and shape requiring diverse and compatible specialized implant materials.