[1] When a bone is cut during surgery bleeding can be a difficult problem to control, especially in the highly vascular bones of the spine and sternum.
Bleeding from soft tissue is normally stopped using a cautery that creates heat, causing blood vessels to collapse and become sealed.
This can be done by mechanically blocking the holes (tamponade effect), or by inducing a blood clot to form.
Because of the complications associated with the use of bone wax, newer absorbable and resorbable hemostatic agents have been developed.
These include firm waxes derived from alkylene oxide copolymers as well as ready use resorbable putties.