Innovations in Biomaterials and Manufacturing for Improved Bone Fracture Healing
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Location: Edwin A. Stevens, Room 222
Speaker: Michael Hast, PhD, Associate Professor, Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware
Abstract
Fracture healing is a mechanically regulated biological process that can be profoundly influenced by implant design, material selection, and manufacturing strategies. Despite advances in surgical fixation, delayed healing and nonunion remain persistent clinical challenges, particularly in osteoporotic and high-risk patient populations. This talk will highlight recent efforts to leverage advanced biomaterials and modern manufacturing techniques to actively modulate the fracture environment and promote robust bone regeneration. Using a combination of additive manufacturing, in vitro testing, and in vivo models, Dr. Hast’s work explores how implant architecture, material degradation, and mechanical properties interact to influence cellular response and tissue formation. Emphasis will be placed on biodegradable polymer and zinc-augmented systems that provide temporary mechanical support while enabling controlled load transfer during healing. Results suggest that implant stiffness, pore architecture, and degradation kinetics can be tuned independently to improve mechanotransduction pathways and enhance bone formation. Collectively, these findings suggest that next-generation fracture fixation systems should be designed not only to stabilize bone, but also to serve as active, mechanically informed regulators of the healing process. By integrating biomaterials science with advanced manufacturing and biomechanics, Dr. Hast’s lab aims to shift clinical standards of fracture repair strategies.
Biography
, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Delaware. His research focuses on fracture reconstruction, bone regeneration, and the interplay between mechanical and biological factors that govern musculoskeletal healing. He directs a multidisciplinary research program that integrates additive manufacturing, biomechanics, imaging, and biological models to develop next-generation orthopaedic implants and fixation strategies.
Dr. Hast’s work emphasizes biodegradable and additively manufactured implants designed to actively modulate the fracture environment through controlled mechanical loading and material degradation. His laboratory employs in vitro, in vivo, and computational approaches to study mechanotransduction, implant performance, and structure–function relationships in bone and soft tissues. He has served as Principal Investigator or Co-PI on several NIH-funded projects, including studies on mechanobiology-driven fracture fixation, zinc-based biomaterials, and image-based virtual mechanical testing of fracture healing. Prior to joining the University of Delaware, Dr. Hast held research and leadership roles at the University of Pennsylvania, where he directed the Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders Biomechanics Core. He has published extensively in the areas of orthopaedic biomechanics, additive manufacturing, and tissue regeneration. Dr. Hast received his BS, MS, and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University.
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