GIOTTO · Project

Smart 3D-Printed Bone Implants and Injectable Cements for Osteoporotic Fracture Repair

healthTestedTRL 5

Imagine your bones are like a building losing its steel beams — that's osteoporosis. When a fracture happens, current drugs can't really help the bone rebuild itself and come with nasty side effects. GIOTTO built three types of custom-fit bone repair devices — a 3D-printed scaffold for arm and leg fractures, a fibrous patch for hip fractures, and an injectable bone cement for cracked vertebrae — all loaded with tiny smart particles that tell your body's cells to start rebuilding bone. They even added an IoT tracking system so doctors can monitor how well the implant is working inside the patient.

By the numbers

1 in 3

Postmenopausal women affected by osteoporosis

1 in 5

Men at advanced age affected by osteoporosis

1/5

Osteoporotic fracture patients who die within a year

50%

Fracture patients who become dependent

Different device solutions developed (scaffold, fibrous patch, injectable cement)

Consortium partners across 10 countries

SMEs in the consortium (53% industry ratio)

Total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Osteoporosis affects 1 in 3 postmenopausal women and 1 in 5 older men, making bone fractures a massive healthcare burden — one fifth of fracture patients die within a year and half become dependent. Current anti-osteoporotic drugs have serious side effects and do not promote fracture healing, leaving orthopedic surgeons with limited options for elderly patients whose bones simply refuse to regenerate.

The solution

What was built

Three bone repair devices — a 3D-printed scaffold for long bone fractures, a fibrous scaffold for pelvic fractures, and an injectable bioresorbable cement for vertebral fractures — all loaded with smart nanobiomaterials that stimulate bone regeneration. Plus a complete IoT platform with data analytics, patient progress tracking, sensor integration for in vivo monitoring, and data onboarding tools.

Audience

Who needs this

Orthopedic implant manufacturers looking for next-generation bone fixation products3D printing companies serving the medical device sectorDigital health companies building post-surgical patient monitoring platformsPharmaceutical companies developing bone regeneration therapiesHospital networks treating high volumes of elderly fracture patients

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Orthopedic Medical Devices

mid-size

Target: Orthopedic implant manufacturers and bone cement producers

If you are an orthopedic device manufacturer dealing with the limitations of standard bone fixation products for elderly patients — this project developed three validated device concepts: a 3D-printed graded scaffold for long bone fractures, a fibrous scaffold for pelvic fractures, and an injectable bioresorbable cement for vertebral fractures. All three use smart nanobiomaterials that actively stimulate bone regeneration, giving you a differentiated product line for the growing osteoporosis market where 1 out of 3 postmenopausal women are affected.

Additive Manufacturing for Healthcare

SME

Target: 3D printing service bureaus serving the medical sector

If you are a 3D printing company looking to expand into personalized medical implants — this project validated additive manufacturing technologies for patient-specific bone scaffolds matched to individual anatomy and fracture type. The consortium included 8 industrial partners across 10 countries, meaning the manufacturing processes were tested across multiple production environments. This gives you a ready technology pathway to offer custom orthopedic implant printing as a service to hospitals.

Digital Health and Remote Patient Monitoring

any

Target: MedTech companies building clinical decision support platforms

If you are a digital health company building post-surgical monitoring solutions — this project developed a complete IoT platform including a data analytics and result correlation platform, a patient progress tracking and management platform, and sensor integration for in vivo tests. These tools let clinicians track implant performance and patient recovery remotely, which is exactly what hospital systems need to reduce readmission rates for fracture patients where half of those with osteoporotic fractures become dependent.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or adopt these technologies?

The project data does not include licensing fees or pricing information. The consortium includes 8 SMEs and 8 industrial partners, suggesting commercial exploitation was planned. Contact the coordinator at Politecnico di Torino to discuss licensing terms for specific device components or the IoT platform.

Can these devices be manufactured at industrial scale?

The project used additive manufacturing (3D printing) which is inherently scalable for personalized medical devices. With 8 industrial partners in the consortium and validated manufacturing processes for three distinct device types, the production pathway exists. However, as a Research and Innovation Action, full-scale commercial manufacturing would still require regulatory approval and production line setup.

What is the IP situation and how can I license these results?

With 15 partners across 10 countries including 8 SMEs, IP is likely distributed across consortium members. The three device platforms (3D scaffold, fibrous scaffold, injectable cement) and the IoT monitoring platform may have separate IP holders. The coordinator Politecnico di Torino can direct you to the relevant IP owner for each technology.

What regulatory approvals are needed for these medical devices?

These are implantable medical devices that would require CE marking under MDR (EU Medical Device Regulation) and FDA clearance for the US market. The injectable cement and bone scaffolds fall under Class III devices requiring clinical trials. Based on available project data, in vivo sensor integration testing was completed, but full regulatory submission status is not specified.

How long before these could reach the market?

The project ran from 2019 to 2023 and produced 26 deliverables including demo-level platforms and sensor integration for in vivo tests. Based on typical medical device timelines post-validation, commercial availability would depend on completing regulatory clinical trials, which typically takes 3-5 years for Class III implantable devices.

Can the IoT platform integrate with existing hospital systems?

The project developed a data analytics and result correlation platform, patient progress tracking platform, and data onboarding scripts and applets. The onboarding scripts suggest the platform was designed to connect with external data sources. Based on available project data, specific EHR integrations are not detailed, but the architecture appears designed for interoperability.

Is there clinical evidence supporting these devices?

The project included sensor integration for in vivo tests as a demo deliverable, indicating animal or early clinical testing was performed. The consortium included partners from 10 countries with both university hospitals and industrial manufacturers involved. Full clinical trial results would need to be obtained from the project publications or coordinator.

Consortium

Who built it

GIOTTO assembled a strong 15-partner consortium across 10 countries with a notably high industry ratio of 53% — 8 of the partners are SMEs and 8 are classified as industry. This is unusual for a medical device research project and signals serious commercial intent from the start. The consortium is led by Politecnico di Torino (Italy), a top-tier technical university, and spans Western Europe including Belgium, Switzerland, Greece, Spain, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and the UK. The mix of 6 universities, 1 research organization, and 8 industrial partners means the technology pipeline from lab to production was covered within the project itself. For a business looking to adopt these technologies, the industrial partners are likely the fastest route to commercially-ready components.

POLITECNICO DI TORINOCoordinator · IT
DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITYparticipant · IE
TECNOLOGIA NAVARRA DE NANOPRODUCTOS SLparticipant · ES
IDRYMA TECHNOLOGIAS KAI EREVNASparticipant · EL
UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNEparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITEIT MAASTRICHTparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITA DI PISAparticipant · IT
UNIVERSIDAD COMPLUTENSE DE MADRIDparticipant · ES
BEWARRANTparticipant · BE
FLUIDINOVA SAparticipant · PT
BICO GROUP ABparticipant · SE
YODIWO MONOPROSOPI AEparticipant · EL
TINEXTA INNOVATION HUB S.P.A.thirdparty · IT

How to reach the team

Politecnico di Torino (Italy) — reach out to their technology transfer office or the department of materials science/biomedical engineering for licensing inquiries.

Order a report on this consortium See POLITECNICO DI TORINO profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the GIOTTO consortium for licensing, partnership, or technology adoption? SciTransfer can connect you with the right team member. Contact us for a detailed briefing.

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