The Science of Healing
NanoFUSE DBM Science
NanoFuse® DBM is a sophisticated composite bone graft that harnesses the natural power of human demineralized bone matrix (DBM) fused with the regenerative properties of 45S5 bioactive glass.
Comprised of 33% DBM cortical bone, 33% 45S5 bioactive glass, and 33% porcine gelatin, our unique coating technology ensures stable delivery and immediate biological interaction upon implantation, creating an optimal environment for bone fusion.
NanoFUSE® DBM | Bone Formation & Remodeling
Illustration of the biological processes involved in bone formation and remodeling. Actual healing responses may vary.
The Discovery of Bioactive Glass: A Breakthrough Born from Urgency
Dr. Larry Hench
Inventor of 45S5 Bioactive Glass
1938 - 2015
In the late 1960s, during the height of the Vietnam War, the U.S. military faced a critical challenge: soldiers were surviving traumatic injuries at unprecedented rates, but existing metal implants and inert materials often failed to integrate with the body. Many were rejected or encapsulated by scar tissue.
In 1969, Dr. Larry Hench, a materials scientist at the University of Florida, was approached with a bold question:
Could a material be designed to bond with living bone instead of being walled off by it?
At the time, biomaterials were intentionally designed to be inert — biologically inactive and unreactive. Hench challenged that paradigm.
He developed a silica-based composition known as 45S5 bioactive glass. Unlike traditional implants, 45S5 interacted with physiological fluids, forming a hydroxycarbonate apatite layer chemically and structurally similar to natural bone. For the first time, a synthetic material formed a direct bond with living tissue.
This discovery introduced the concept of “bioactivity” in biomaterials — shifting medicine from passive replacement toward active regeneration.
