The US Office of Naval Research (of all people) reports that they are prototyping a method for recreating bones that have been destroyed through accident or disease.

The method involves creating a 3D image of the reciprical bone in the other limb using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

This is then used to generate a micro-porous calcium phosphate coated polymer 'bone' which can be implanted in the damaged limb. The calcium coating allows bone cells to bind to the graft, which takes about 8 weeks.

Previously limbs this badly damaged usually required amputation.