The artificial bone, porous and coated with a thin layer of calcium phosphate, is implanted into the arm in place of the damaged bone.

ECONOMIST: MONITOR

The details of the process used to create NanOss are currently a commercial secret (they involve dissolving together the right proportions of calcium, phosphate and hydroxide ions, while precisely controlling the acidity, temperature and timing of the process).

ECONOMIST: Nanotechnology

Being able to tweak the ratio of calcium to phosphate alters not only the strength of the NanOss, but also the rate at which it is absorbed and the ease with which it combines with collagen, a protein that is the other main ingredient of bone.

ECONOMIST: Nanotechnology