In a breakthrough that could transform how doctors treat broken bones, researchers in China have developed an injectable adhesive that bonds shattered bone fragments in minutes and then dissolves away as the bone heals naturally. The material, called Bone-02, draws its stickiness from an unlikely source: oysters, which use a blend of minerals and proteins to cling to wet rocks underwater.
Revealed in September 2025 by a team at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital affiliated with Zhejiang University, the glue is designed to solve a persistent problem in orthopedics. Tiny bone fragments from complex fractures are notoriously difficult to stabilize with metal plates and screws. With Bone-02, doctors make a small 2 to 3 centimeter incision, inject the material directly into the fracture site, and it sets in just 2 to 3 minutes, even in the bloody, wet environment inside the body. Lab tests show the bond can withstand more than 400 pounds of force, with shear strength of about 0.5 megapascals and compressive strength of roughly 10 megapascals.
What sets this adhesive apart from traditional hardware is what happens next. Bone-02 is fully biodegradable, meaning it gradually resorbs as natural bone healing takes over, typically within about six months. This eliminates the need for a second surgery to remove metal implants, reducing infection risk, stress shielding where the bone weakens because the metal bears the load, and the trauma of additional procedures. The developers report that more than 150 patients across multiple Chinese hospitals have already received the glue, with early results described as excellent in terms of safety and effectiveness, including in cases of complex comminuted fractures where bones splinter into many pieces.
A multicenter randomized controlled trial was launched in September 2025 to further evaluate the material. The team, led by Associate Chief Physician Lin Xianfeng, specifically targeted the challenge of fixing small fragments that traditional hardware cannot easily address. If Bone-02 proves successful in larger trials, it could dramatically reduce recovery time, complications, and healthcare costs, particularly for elderly patients, emergency settings, and military medicine. For anyone who has spent weeks in a cast with a broken arm, the prospect of fixing bones with a few strategic injections offers a hopeful glimpse of a faster, less invasive future in orthopedic care.