Pig Bladder Hormone Allows Injured Marine To Regrow Leg Muscles

When Marine Isaias Hernandez was hit in the right thigh by a mortar explosion in Afghanistan it was believed that his leg would need to be amputated when the Marine lost 70% of the muscles in his leg, however instead of cutting off the limb doctors chose to inject his leg with a growth hormone found in pig bladders.

After playing the waiting game researchers were amazed to learn that Isaias’ muscles grew back in what experts are calling a “remarkable recovery.”

Doctors were even more excited to realize that the marine’s skeletal muscle, which typically doesn’t grow back had regenerated itself.

Before the procedure could be completed Hernandez had to strengthen the remaining 30% muscle left in his leg and then a slide of extracellular matrix was inserted in his thigh.

The surgery was made available thanks to the US military’s $70 million regenerative medicine research program.