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Show Metallic Flesh and Bone Used for Artificial Ears Metallic flesh and bone made from tantalum are providing new ears and rehabilitating torn nerves and other tissues for thousands of persons, Dr. Clarence W. Balke reported re-ported to American Chemical society. so-ciety. Artificial ears have been grown on frameworks of tantalum wire, and more than 5,000 skull injuries have been repaired with tantalum plates. Thousands of severed or injured nerves have been made sound again with tantalum foil, and literally miles of wire have been used for surgical sutures. Dr. Balke reported. re-ported. Tantalum is called "biologically acceptable" since body tissues adhere ad-here to and grow over the metal. Both tantalum and columbium are completely non-irritating' to living tissue, and they are not made irritating irri-tating by pathological or disease conditions within the tissues. Implants of tantalum gauze are used wvhere muscular or other soft tissue is either milling or has been removed. Final repair of recurrent hernia and closure of abdominal walls after cancer removal are outstanding out-standing illustrations. |