Statistics show that around 15 million people suffer from fractures every year and another 2.7 million people suffer from bone-related illnesses. But a new technology is gaining ground in the treatment of bone injuries to help patients heal faster and potentially without additional surgery.
Xenographic bone grafts, commonly known as xenograft, consist of skeletal tissue that is harvested from one species and transferred to the recipient site of another species. These grafts can be derived from mammalian bones and coral exoskeletons. Bovine derived bone has been commonly used for xenograft.
One company, Genex Pharmaceutical, Inc., is China's leading processor of Reconstituted Bone Xenograft (RBX). RBX, a sponge-like medical device which has an excellent compatability with natural human bone, can be used for injuries ranging from complex fractures to bone defects and bone traumas.
Using Genex's proprietary technology, RBX is derived from two extraction processes from bovine bone. First, the extraction process in RBX uses chemical agents to defat, decalcify and de-protein low density cancellous bone, a process that reduces the antigenicity, thus rendering these implants more tolerable to human tissues. Next, a bone growth factor known as Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) is extracted from high density cortical bone. BMP acts as an osteoinducer, which is one of the most promising bone growth factors, to promote bone healing for all types of bone-related injuries.
RBX is the result of the inorganic bone being infused with BMP. Great advantage of RBX is the ability of the BMP to stimulate bone healing and in most cases reduce the recovery time of the patient. As the carrier element biodegrades, BMP is slowly released, avoiding the need for additional surgery, associated costs and certain surgical complications.
In China, xenograft was first used in clinical practice in 1991. The first patient had been under observation for more than nine years and showed no adverse affects from the use of RBX. Further testing using modern immunological tests indicates that RBX technology is, to date, an effective bone graft technique which is overcoming the disadvantages demonstrated from other traditional grafting procedures.
Genex Pharmaceutical Inc. (OTC BB: GENX.OB) aims to position itself as a comprehensive medical device provider for bone grafting techniques. Genex's RBX has been approved by the State Food and Drug Administration in China, the Chinese regulatory agency that supervises drugs and medical devices. Learn more at www.genexpharm.com. - NU |
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