A south Florida man has 'regrown' part of his finger thanks to some innovative thinking by his doctor.
CBS' Miami affiliate reports that 33-year-old Paul Halpern of Delray Beach, Fla. had part of his index finger torn off while he was feeding his horse. Halpern had been feeding the horse a treat when it mistook his finger for a cookie.
Halpern tried to save the extremity by icing it down, but says his insurance company wanted him to just amputate the rest of the finger. That's when Dr. Eugenio Rodriguez gave him another option.
Rodriguez was able to make a mold of the missing piece of finger using the bladder tissue of a pig. Once the newly created tip was attached, the finger started to regenerate itself.
"The finger’s cells, bone, soft tissue, even nail grew into the mold."
Rodriguez hopes the technique will lead to similar results in more complex injuries.
CBS Miami has the full story.
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