Injuries, birth defects (such as cleft palates) or surgery
to remove a tumor can create gaps in bone that are too large to heal naturally.
And when they occur in the head, face or jaw, these bone defects can
dramatically alter a person’s appearance. Researchers will report today that
they have developed a “self-fitting” material that expands with warm salt water
to precisely fill bone defects, and also acts as a scaffold for new bone
growth.