Martina Jolic: Bone regeneration and the limits of biomaterials
Calcium phosphate and titanium are widely used in bone repair and reconstruction—but how do bones respond to them? Martina Jolic’s thesis investigates how the body reacts to these materials and the challenges they present in clinical practice.
MARTINA JOLIC
Dissertation defense: 4 June 2025 (click for details)
Doctoral thesis: From extra-skeletal bone growth in reosseointegration: Osteoinduction and mechanical disruption in bone repair
Research area: Biomaterials
Sahlgrenska Academy, The Institute of Clinical Sciences
One of the major challenges in bone repair is that no single material can fully replicate bone’s complex structure and function. Martina Jolic explores how bones respond to two key types of biomaterials: degradable calcium phosphates and non-degradable titanium.
“We found that multicomponent calcium phosphate materials can stimulate new bone growth even outside the skeleton,” says Martina Jolic, biologist and doctoral student at the Institute of Clinical Sciences. “That’s remarkable, but we also discovered that one of the components, calcium pyrophosphate, can negatively affect the quality of the bone. This is particularly relevant because it’s found in current clinical materials.”
In a separate part of the thesis, she developed a new research model to simulate trauma to titanium implants, often used in load-bearing skeletal structures. Using this model, her team could pinpoint how and where damage occurs—and track how bone heals and reconnects with the implant over time.
How bone heals under pressure
Titanium is often referred to as the gold standard in dental and orthopedic implants, especially in situations where mechanical strength is crucial. But when such implants are exposed to overload or trauma, bone-implant integration can fail.
“We wanted to understand what happens when a titanium implant is subjected to mechanical trauma,” says Martina Jolic. “We confirmed that the bone can actually re-attach and form a stable connection again, which is quite impressive. Our model helped us follow the stepwise regenerative process, giving new insights into how bone heals after mechanical stress.”
These findings may ultimately contribute to better treatment strategies in dental and orthopedic surgery and long-term skeletal reconstruction.
New bone, new questions
In contrast to titanium’s long-term mechanical stability, calcium phosphate materials are designed to degrade and promote new bone formation. Martina Jolic’s research revealed that their composition significantly affects how and where new bone is formed.
“When placed under the skin, these materials induced bone formation. This bone looked like native bone structurally, but its quality was influenced by the material’s chemical makeup. That’s an important insight for anyone working with these materials clinically.”
A rewarding but demanding project
Martina Jolic describes her doctoral journey as both rewarding and demanding. She found energy in the interdisciplinary nature of her work, which bridges biology and materials science, and appreciated the opportunity to guide her own projects.
“I had to make a lot of decisions on my own toward the end, which was a challenge but also very rewarding. The hardest part, though, was maintaining a sustainable work-life balance. There were difficult moments, but they helped me grow professionally and personally.”
Text: Jakob Lundberg