Composite Structure of Cactus Spines

Standard in surgical treatment of bone fractures isthe use of metal implants, with well definedcharacteristics in stiffness and strength. Newmaterials could however be used to create implants,which change their mechanical properties. Thedevelopment of implants made of resorbable compositestructures could be an approach to achieve such atarget.Nature has for a long time dealt with the problem ofproducing lightweight but robust compositestructures, which in addition are able to change, oradapt, their mechanical properties. Spines of cactiare one of these structure.Cactus spines were tested for their bending stiffnessand examined by both light and electron microscopy todetermine their structural properties.Based on these findings, experimental implants madeof bioresorbable material were produced, whichconsisted of longitudinally oriented fibres, weldedwith a proprietary method into plates - mimicking thecactus spine morphology.The fibres produced for these implants could be madetwice as strong as fibres described in theliterature. The plates finally were more than 80times stiffer than any similar specified commercialproduct, used on the market to date.