UTSA researcher uses speaker foam to repair injured bones
Pieces of the coated bone-mimicking foam biomedical engineering assistant professor Teja Guda has developed.

Pieces of the coated bone-mimicking foam biomedical engineering assistant professor Teja Guda has developed.
(August 3, 2015) -- Say you fall and crack your head open, an ambulance takes you to the hospital and a group of doctors fill that hole in your skull with speaker foam? Well, soon that might be possible.
Teja Guda, an assistant professor of biomechanical engineering, and Joo L. Ong, chair and professor of biomedical engineering at UTSA, have been working on a product called scaffolding, which is meant to replace bone grafts as a treatment for people who have lost bone matter.
“It almost looks like a kitchen sponge,” Guda said. “The scaffold is 85 percent open space. The cells grow into it, and because we give them something solid to grow into, they start to regenerate tissue.”
Chemically, the scaffolding is made of the same ceramics that are found in bones.
“The idea is to mimic nature,” Guda said. “The body is what we want to duplicate, so why not literally duplicate the building blocks?”
The foam is, in fact, the same foam used in soundproofing and speakers, so it’s an actual building material being used to rebuild a part of the human body. It’s glazed in the same way ceramic pottery is glazed, except its ceramic putty has the same chemical makeup of human bones. It’s put into a furnace to harden the material.
“The big problem with glazed pottery is if you drop it, it cracks,” Guda said. “Now, in the fourth generation and thanks to a protein coating, the current generation of scaffolding is very much improved for performance, in that now it can chip but it won’t disintegrate.”
Scaffolding could replace bone grafts as a treatment, which is taking bone either from the patient’s body or from a cadaver. But cadaver bones have the risk of transmitting disease or not being compatible with the patient’s body.
“If the graft is taken from the patient’s body, the pain from that second injury is often more than the original injury,” said Guda. “There’s only so much you can scavenge from across the body. You don’t have a lot of spare bones lying around.”
Animal trials have been successful and the product is now undergoing further development abroad. Guda has also loaded drugs and antibiotics onto the scaffolding material so that doctors can skip that extra step while treating a patient.
--------------------------------------------
Learn more about biomedical engineering at UTSA.
Learn more about the College of Engineering.
Connect online with UTSA on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
Events
Members of the university community are encouraged to attend a virtual Community Gathering, hosted by the UTSA Multicultural Student Center for Equity and Justice and Office of Inclusive Excellence, to reflect on the tragedy in Uvalde. The event is scheduled at noon on Friday, May 27.
Virtual EventUTSA is excited to introduce new flexible learning spaces available to the Roadrunner community. During this orientation, interested faculty will be guided through examples of innovative learning activities supported by these spaces and provided with an overview of relevant technical features.
Virtual EventDo you find yourself more worried than usual about our students? Would you like to feel more confident in your ability to provide support or assistance to them? We are pleased to announce this new brownbag professional development opportunity for you, Compassion Fatigue Training, that will be offered June 1, 2022.
Faculty Center Large Conference Room (JPL 4.04.12C), Main CampusThe Faculty Coffee Chat is designed to provide faculty members the space to discuss current issues they are facing in an inclusive and supportive environment.
Virtual EventJoin your fellow alumni at The Dooryard, for networking, drinks, professional portraits, and karaoke. Be sure to dress business on the top to make the most of this unique opportunity.
The Dooryard, 4503 De Zavala Rd Suite 108, San Antonio, TX 78249These sessions are focused on incoming Freshman who are attending the UTSA Summer Orientation and are intending to major in areas within the College of Liberal and Fine Arts! We'll have important information and giveaways for you - come meet us.
Willow room (SU 2.02.1), Main CampusPart 1 of our Career Skills Summer Workshop Series! Jeffrey Patten from the UTSA Career Center will be presenting on how to build a resume.
Virtual Event