The New York Times has published a profile of Sergeant Ron Strang, an injured Afghanistan veteran who has undergone a radical new form of surgery to help him regrow part of his quadriceps muscle. Doctors at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center used a material known as extracellular membrane, derived from a pig's bladder, stitching it into Strang's leg wound last year after cutting out the accumulated scar tissue. The membrane has stimulated the Marine's body to repair itself at a faster rate than would usually be possible, growing new flesh on top of the damaged tissue — frequent exercise and physiotherapy concentrating on the affected region have ensured that the body grows useful muscle rather than any other type of material. Strang is one of the first patients to benefit from the surgery, but the study received significant funding from the Department of Defense in 2010 and aims to treat an initial group of 80 patients, including civilians. Head over to The New York Times for more details about the treatment.