Trubone™ is a new type of bioactive glass that stimulates the growth of bone, but is also angiogenic which means it stimulates the growth of blood vessels.  The increased blood vessel density in the graft means there is potential for more oxygen, nutrients, and natural growth factors to be delivered to the bone cells at the implant site, which should lead to improved healing times and better overall healing.  Since Trubone™ is composed of bioactive glass, it is available in several forms including fibers, spheres, particles, and ribbons.  Many Trubone™ compositions can be heat treated to form rigid, porous, three dimensional scaffolds with limited load bearing capabilities, but for those interested in load bearing capabilities, some Trubone™ glass compositions readily bond to titanium.

 The image on the left is an example of a scaffold composed of Trubone™ glass stimulating blood vessel growth in rat subcutaneous tissue.  It is important to note that the dark color of the scaffold is simply due to the composition of the Trubone™ glass, and is not due to any immune or other biological response.  Several blood vessels are shown growing towards the scaffold, and there are blood vessels growing inside the open pores (arrows).  The image on the right is shown as a comparison since the scaffold is composed of traditional bioactive glass and contains very few visible blood vessels.