Tuesday, September 17, 2013

New Technology Regrows Fingertip

It’s being called a medical marvel. A south Florida doctor used a unique procedure to actually grow back a man’s finger that a horse bit off.

According to Dr. Eugenio Rodriguez, Paul Halpern, 33, arrived in Delray Beach with his finger in a zip lock bag. The insurance company wanted the rest of the finger amputated. However, a doctor wanted to try a unique procedure.
Short version; a mean horse bit off the tip of his finger.  Horses are evil.

Using the bladder tissue of a pig, Dr. Rodriguez made a template of Halpern’s finger and attached it to what was left.

The result was astounding.

The finger’s cells, bone, soft tissue, even nail grew into the mold. “It’s very interesting to see a patient heal. That’s my passion, wound healing. It is fascinating to have the new results,” said Dr. Rodriguez.

It’s a procedure both Dr. Rodriguez and Halpern agree could pave the road for other more complex injuries.
That's a cool result.  Who would have thought if you just provided a template of the proper shape, and a nice safe neutral surface to grow on, the body would produce the variety of proper cells necessary to fill it in, and connect it all up.  Next up, a whole leg...

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