File photo from June 2012 shows the main entrance to North Dakota State University in Fargo.
FOR THE MOST PART, I ignore the mass emails sent by whomever, including North Dakota State University, where my son attended his first year of college. He’s transferring to Tufts University in Medford, MA., outside of Boston, this fall.
But this head in a recent NDSU Alumni (I’m not an NDSU alumni) mailing caught my attention:
Researchers Coax Clays to Make Human Bone: Weak bones, broken bones, damaged bones, arthritic bones. Researchers at North Dakota State University, Fargo, are making strides in tissue engineering, designing scaffolds that may lead to ways to regenerate bone.
Arthritic bone.
Up until some seven years ago, I’d never considered arthritic bone, not even thought about arthritis or its debilitating impact on the body and spirit and on mobility.
But then, at age 48 ½, I developed back and hip pain which, initially diagnosed as a pinched sciatic nerve, was eventually correctly diagnosed as arthritis in my right hip. For 2 ½ years I lived with the constant pain until near immobility and an inability to tolerate the pain led me to undergo total right hip replacement five years ago. Given my age, 51, I wanted to put off the surgery as long as possible.
I likely will outlive my hip, which has a life expectancy of 15 – 20 years. That means hip surgery. Again. And that scares the heck out of me because I will be much older, the recovery more challenging.
When I read news about research like that being conducted at NDSU, I am encouraged—hopeful for a better alternative to the current implant system. There have been too many recalls on hip implants. Thus far, mine has not been among them. But pity those people who need to have their defective implants removed and replaced.
To the NDSU researchers who created the system of “3-D mesh scaffold composed of degradable materials compatible to human tissue” in which “cells generate bone and the scaffold deteriorates,” thank you for working on this project.
Do you think you could perfect the process and have it on the market in 10 years?
FYI: Learn more about this NDSU research project by clicking here.
© Copyright 2013 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
They are making so many medical advances and this is one of them! I bet it will be ready when you need it! I just saw that they are making headway in macular degeneration also which hopefully will help my mom if hers progresses. Science is amazing and I am in awe of researchers and others who can figure it out . It makes my head hurt.
Like you, I am also impressed by these scientists who can figure out these medical advances which help so many. My uncle, Robert Bowman, developed Femara, a drug used to fight breast cancer in post-menopausal women.
Wow! That is very impressive!!! I just am in awe of scientists because my brain just does not work that way! 🙂
Uncle Robin always tells us he hopes none of us ever need to use the drug he created.
And, no, my mind is not wired in a scientific way either. Not one tiny bit.
Wow, that bone research is inspiring and encouraging. My dad had both hips replaced – he was an avid biker – when he was in his seventies. He recovered quicker than expected, thanks to that biking he did so much of, and was really grateful for those hip replacements. The second one was titanium. Made him think of the Six Million Dollar Man (remember that t.v. series?).
I cannot even begin to tell you how grateful I was, too, for my hip replacement. It gave me my life back. Life without pain and the ability to walk, well, never taking those for granted again. Ever.
Yes, I do remember the Six Million Dollar Man. Part of my replacement is ceramic, the other metal. Good to hear all worked out well for your dad with the two replacements. I am quite thankful that my other hip shows no arthritis.
Fascinating bit of info!!! Really, there are no limits (I do pray that, in some cases, the ethics’ level won’t have slipped to an unacceptable level!)! Great post!
The ethics level concerns me, too, in some scientific research.
The “moral compass” is definitely pointing a direction that is suspect (whether I look around me or in the direction of the gov’t;-( )
I agree. Totally.
It is impressive; although so was joint replacement back in the day and that is not without issues, limitation, recalls, etc. I, too, struggle with constant pain and other ailments all stemming from a car wreck when I was 4. Modern medicine fixed me up just dandy and things have been great for many years. Age is catching up with me now. I am need of joint replacements and am told I am too young (39) for it. lifestyle changes are all you have at times; even that doesn’t fix an issue and all you can hope is that it lessens it until such time as you can explore other avenues. There are some very bright minds at work out there. I am hopeful there will be significant breakthroughs in many areas of medicne to help those that struggle in some aspect or other of their day to day lives.
Dan, I am sorry to hear that you are struggling with chronic pain and are in need of joint replacements. I held out as long as I could (about two years) before I could not tolerate the pain any more and could barely walk. In retrospect, it was too long. But you are much younger than me and I understand why you are being given that advice. Yet, there comes a time when quality of life dictates surgery.
I won’t mince words. The surgery scared the heck out of me. Even now, when I think about this foreign part in my body, I don’t like the thought. But I am grateful, so grateful.
Keeping off weight and exercise help. Yet, you are correct in stating that life style changes can only help so much.
Hang in there. I feel for you and all the others out there dealing with chronic pain. I have certainly learned empathy.
Hooray with medical advances 🙂 I hear your concerns about out living your hip, too bad those buggers don’t last a little longer. If it helps you to feel just a bit better my Grandpa had his replaced at age 86 and he did great. He lived to be 98. I’m glad you are doing so well with yours, your the kind of girl that needs to be on-the-go!
That’s encouraging to hear about your grandpa’s success. I know many others who have done equally as well with hip replacements.
The arthritic hip truly did affect my life. I photographed my niece’s wedding before the hip replacement. And, let me tell you, that was difficult. About a month prior, I’d had a cortisone injection. But that did not help at all. It was like throwing $1,000 out the window. But I had to try.
I find it interesting that life expectancy is like 74 years and your parts go defective way before that and sometimes multiple times for the same problem. I was diagnosed with one chronic illness in my early 30s and had another one diagnosed in my late 30s. I have a lot of living left. Taking one day at a time and enjoying it! Happy Weekend:)
That’s the correct approach. Savoring each day. And I know that you do, based on your inspirational and motivating blog posts.