Bone Adhesives in Tissue Engineering Applications

Bone adhesives represent an emerging class of biomaterials designed to bond fractured or resected bone segments without reliance on metallic hardware. By combining strong interfacial adhesion with controlled biodegradation and osteoconductivity, these adhesives aim to stabilise defects, minimise surgical trauma and foster new bone formation. Materials under investigation span synthetic polymers, bioinspired hydrogels and ceramic-based cements, each tailored to operate in the wet, dynamic environment of calcified tissue. Key design criteria include high shear and tensile strength, compatibility with host cells, precise setting kinetics and the capacity to integrate with bone grafts or implants. Advances in molecular engineering—such as catechol-metal coordination and phosphoserine incorporation—have yielded formulations that rival conventional fixation methods in mechanical performance while promoting osteogenesis. As research progresses from bench to bedside, bone adhesives hold promise for enhancing outcomes in orthopaedic, maxillofacial and dental reconstructive procedures worldwide.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Research from all publishers

A mechanically reinforced adhesive inspired by mussel chemistry integrates L-dopa–poly(vinyl alcohol) networks with a zeolitic framework to achieve adhesion strengths exceeding 10 MPa on wet bone and graft materials. In vivo studies in rabbit calvarial defects demonstrate enhanced bone thickness and rapid tissue ingrowth, illustrating the dual role of this glue as both an anchor and osteogenic scaffold. A translational review of biodegradable bone adhesives synthesises the field’s progress from polymeric glues to mineral-organic composites, critically examining adhesion assays, preclinical models and early clinical evaluations. This work maps the chemistry of novel adhesives, identifies regulatory and scalability hurdles and outlines pathways for commercialisation. A systematic survey of synthetic and biological polymer adhesives highlights innovations in injectability, setting control and cell-friendly degradation. The review underscores the potential of bioinspired adhesives to repair complex voids and facilitate minimally invasive delivery, while emphasising the necessity of matching mechanical demands with favourable biological responses.

Bone Adhesives in Tissue Engineering Applications publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in bone adhesives in tissue engineering applications across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Bone adhesive: A biomaterial designed to bond two pieces of bone through surface adhesion and subsequent integration with the host tissue.

Catechol-metal coordination: A bonding mechanism in which catechol groups chelate metal ions to form strong, reversible crosslinks under wet conditions.

Hydrogel: A water-rich, three-dimensional polymer network capable of conforming to irregular defect sites and delivering bioactive cues.

Osteogenesis: The biological process of new bone formation driven by osteoblast proliferation, matrix deposition and mineralisation.

Osteointegration: The direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of an implanted material without fibrous tissue intervening.

References

1. A Mechanically Reinforced Super Bone Glue Makes a Leap in Hard Tissue Strong Adhesion and Augmented Bone Regeneration. Advanced Science (2023).
2. Bone adhesive materials: From bench to bedside. Materials Today Bio (2023).
3. Biodegradable and Biocompatible Adhesives for the Effective Stabilisation, Repair and Regeneration of Bone. Bioengineering (2022).