IO, Solo – A lecturer of Mechanical Engineering Department of Faculty of Engineering (FT) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta, Dr. Joko Triyono and his team, succeeded in inventing artificial material to substitute or repair fractured human bones, called “bone graft” or “bone filler”. Bone Graft works as a bone filling material, and was named “Semar Bone Graft”.
To the reporter, Thursday (09/19/2019), he said that in conducting this research until arriving at its outcome, he involved lecturers from several disciplines, among them Dr. Suyatmi, M. BiomedSc. from Faculty of Medicine (FK) UNS and Dr. I Dewa Nyoman Suci Anindya Murdiyantara, Sp.OT. from Klaten General Hospital (RSUP) Soeradji Tirtonegoro.
Dr. Joko said UNS developed this product because bone grafts used in hospitals were imported from other countries. Until now, there is no local product listed in e-catalog.lkpp.go.id that can be covered by Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) yet. Moreover, many bone fracture repair procedures require bone grafts.
“A 2010 Survey concludes that there were 4,537 patients of bone fracture in Prof. Soeharso Orthopedic Hospital Surakarta,” he stated in the middle of a Research and Community Service Institute (LPPM) UNS Roadshow.
For this background, Dr. Joko and team produced bone grafts made of xenograft or cow bones, collected from a slaughterhouse at Jagalan, Solo. The production process is started by selecting fresh cow bones. Then, demineralization and deproteinization gets rid of minerals and proteins contained in the bones. This is done by sun-drying the bones and then boiling them three times. Next, the bones are cut into small pieces in 10 x 10 x 10 mm size. After that, the bones are baked in an oven for two hours at 1,200oC to sterilize them.
“We chose cow bones because we want to utilize local products and these bones have not yet been optimally used. We are trying to maximize the benefits of this material. And certainly, the price is also cheap,” he explained.
On the other hand, the imported bone-graft material is made of synthetic ingredients and chemical substances.
“The products usually used by hospitals here are still imported, such as Bio-oss Bongros products shipped in from Korea. The imported materials are pricey, Rp1.7 million for 5 ccs, and this product is listed in e-catalog.lkpp.go.id. Semar Bone Graft is much cheaper, Rp400 thousands for 10 ccs,” he added.
He hopes that this finding can be developed, and there will be cooperation with industry. “We have conducted trials and errors on white mice in collaboration with the Faculty of Animal Husbandry of UGM (Universitas Gadjah Mada-Red). There is no inflammation, infection, and bones do grow,” he further explained.
Dr. Joko and team started this research in 2016. In addition, as a result of this finding, he received a grant worth Rp200 million for Prospective Technology-Based Starter Entrepreneurs (CPPBT) from the Ministry of Research, Technology, and Higher Education. (*/est)