Chad Clark's Open Journal : 2008-05-06

1) Carbon-14 isotopes in human eye lens can be used to date people.

The Discover article reads:

  The proteins form in the lens of the eye during the first two years of
  life, remaining unchanged thereafter. For anyone born in the last six
  decades, moreover, the lens proteins carry a radioactive marker - a
  special signature reflecting the pattern of nuclear bomb tests starting
  in 1955 and declining at an exponential rate since 1963.

2) Implanting donor spinal discs to relieve back problems.

The New Scientist article (part way down the page) reads:

  Nearly four out of five people experience back pain at some point in
  their lives. For the worst affected, having some vertebrae fused together
  is the only way to prevent further pain. But this puts an increased
  burden on the adjacent vertebrae, which can cause further problems.
  
  Artificial replacements are far from ideal, because like artificial hips
  and knees they eventually break down and have to be replaced. Now Keith
  Luk at the University of Hong Kong Medical Centre has developed a way to
  harvest the soft tissue discs that absorb shocks and let the spine flex
  from cadavers and transplant them into patients.
  
  In theory, transplanting the dics and part of the vertebrae either side
  should overcome the problems of fused vertebrae, because the donor bone
  should form a natural strong bond with the recipient's tissues.

The patent application is available at http://snipurl.com/27ckv .