MedBeds for the Win!!!

Army scientists: Regrowing limbs could be the future for military medicine

By Armed with Science, DoD's Official Science BlogJanuary 2, 2018

WASHINGTON – For some animals, such as salamanders, regrowing a missing limb is a common healing process. But what if people could do the same? Could the future of treating amputations include Soldiers regrowing their own muscle, bone, and nerve tissues?

"We're not quite there yet," said Army Lt. Col. David Saunders, extremity repair product manager for the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity, Fort Detrick, Maryland. "What we're trying to do is develop a toolkit for our trauma and reconstructive surgeons out of various regenerative medicine products as they emerge to improve long-term outcomes in function and form of injured extremities."

Saunders was part of a session focusing on the research being done on extremity regeneration, part of a larger theme of regenerative medicine at the Military Health System Research Symposium. Saunders said that while there's been amazing progress in the areas of using synthetic grafts to start the regrowth of muscle, nerve, vascular, and connective tissues, it's still not the same as the real thing. "We would like it to be as restorative as possible, resist infection … and be durable," he said. "This is going to be implanted in young people who may go on to live another 60 to 70 years."

One researcher is using fillers to bridge the gap in damaged bones, hoping to figuratively bridge the gap between current regenerative techniques and the ideal: people regrowing lost limbs. Stephanie Shiels with the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, talked about her research to develop a synthetic bone gap filler that heals bones and reduces infection by infusing those grafts with a variety of anti-microbials.

"We know that it reduces infection," said Shiels. "Other things to consider include adding a bulking agent … to help regenerate bone."

Other research focuses on regrowing muscle lost in traumatic injuries, as well as recovering nerves, or at least preserving them, for future use. But besides treating those deep tissue wounds, there's something a bit more on the surface that can impact troops: skin. The skin is known for its regenerative properties. Research is being conducted to help it do that job better and recover scar tissue.