The unparalleled liquid strength of cartilage, which is about 80 percent water, withstands some of the toughest forces on our bodies.
Synthetic materials couldn’t match it—until “Kevlartilage” was developed by researchers at the University of Michigan and Jiangnan University.
“We know that we consist mostly of water—all life does—and yet our bodies have a lot of structural stability,” said Nicholas Kotov, the Joseph B. and Florence V. Cejka Professor of Engineering at U-M, who led the study. “Understanding cartilage is understanding how life forms can combine properties that are sometimes unthinkable together.”
Many people with joint injuries would benefit from a good replacement for cartilage, such as the 850,000 patients in the U.S. who undergo surgeries removing or replacing cartilage in the knee.
While other varieties of synthetic cartilage are already undergoing clinical trials, these materials fall into two camps that choose between cartilage attributes, unable to achieve that unlikely combination of strength and water content.
The other synthetic materials that mimic the physical properties of cartilage don’t contain enough water to transport the nutrients that cells need to thrive, Kotov said.
Meanwhile, hydrogels—which incorporate water into a network of long, flexible molecules—can be designed with enough water to support the growth of the chondrocytes cells that build up natural cartilage. Yet those hydrogels aren’t especially strong. They tear under strains a fraction of what cartilage can handle.
The new Kevlar-based hydrogel recreates the magic of cartilage by combining a network of tough nanofibers from Kevlar—the “aramid” fibers best known for making bulletproof vests—with a material commonly used in hydrogel cartilage replacements, called polyvinyl alcohol, or PVA.
In natural cartilage, the network of proteins and other biomolecules gets its strength by resisting the flow of water among its chambers. The pressure from the water reconfigures the network, enabling it to deform without breaking. Water is released in the process, and the network recovers by absorbing water later.
This mechanism enables high impact joints, such as knees, to stand up to punishing forces. Running repeatedly pounds the cartilage between the bones, forcing water out and making the cartilage more pliable as a result. Then, when the runner rests, the cartilage absorbs water so that it provides strong resistance to compression again.
The synthetic cartilage boasts the same mechanism, releasing water under stress and later recovering by absorbing water like a sponge. The aramid nanofibers build the framework of the material, while the PVA traps water inside the network when the material is exposed to stretching or compression. Even versions of the material that were 92 percent water were comparable in strength to cartilage, with the 70-percent version achieving the resilience of rubber.
As the aramid nanofibers and PVA don’t harm adjacent cells, Kotov anticipates that this synthetic cartilage may be a suitable implant for some situations, such as the deeper parts of the knee. He also wonders whether chondrocytes might be able to take up residence inside the synthetic network to produce a hybrid cartilage.
But his potential applications are not limited to cartilage. He suspects that similar networks, with different proportions of aramid nanofibers, PVA and water, may be able to stand in for other soft tissues.
“We have a lot of membranes in the body that require the same properties. I would like to evaluate the space,” Kotov said. “I will talk to doctors about where the acute need is and where this intersection of the properties will allow us to make best headway and biggest impact.”
Learn more: Kevlar-based artificial cartilage mimics the magic of the real thing
The Latest on: Artificial cartilage
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Artificial cartilage” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]- As Kentucky Derby Nears, Last Year’s Deaths Cast Long Shadowon May 2, 2024 at 2:04 am
The breakdown of 12 horses in the days surrounding the celebrated race a year ago has led to existential questions about the sport and its future.
- Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Management of Articular Cartilage Pathologyon May 1, 2024 at 5:00 pm
in the management of articular cartilage pathology. The purpose of the present study was to systematically review the published literature to answer the following questions: (1) what osteochondral ...
- The Best Collagen Supplements: Top 2024 Collagen Protein Powderson April 30, 2024 at 8:34 am
Branded content. Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. It accounts for ...
- Orthopedic Devices Market Future of Augmented Reality in Market Research Opportunities and Challengeson April 25, 2024 at 8:31 pm
Orthopedic Devices Market is valued at approximately USD 38.3 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 3% over the forecast period 2020-2027. An orthopedic ...
- Top 6 Best Shark Cartilage Supplements in 2024on April 24, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Make sure that the product contains high-quality, pure shark cartilage. It’s also a good idea to look for supplements that are free of additives, fillers, and artificial ingredients. The next ...
- Hyalex Orthopaedics announces first cases with synthetic knee cartilage implanton April 22, 2024 at 11:43 am
Hyalex Orthopaedics announced today that patients successfully received Hyalex knee implants as part of its first-in-human clinical trials.
- UM research discovers new way to generate human cartilageon April 14, 2024 at 7:00 am
MISSOULA, Mont. — There’s a new way to generate human cartilage from the head and neck, according to researchers from the University of Montana and their partners. Stem cells can now be ...
- Scientists 3D-print human ear grafts to counter congenital malformationon April 1, 2024 at 5:51 am
Researchers have created an artificial human ear that “looks ... of building a replacement ear often involve harvesting cartilage from a child’s ribs — a procedure that can be quite invasive ...
- A new approach to producing artificial cartilage with the help of 3D printingon February 12, 2024 at 8:08 am
A special high-resolution 3D printing process is used to create tiny, porous spheres made of biocompatible and degradable plastic, which are then colonized with cells. These spheroids can then be ...
- Understanding Your Artificial Kneeon April 7, 2020 at 5:00 pm
but the overall goal is to cover the worn-out joint surface with an artificial material such as metal, plastic, or ceramic. In a healthy knee joint, the cartilage that lines the ends of the bones ...
via Google News and Bing News