Better than natural

A hydrogel-based cartilage substitute is stronger than natural

Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+

Experiments have shown that the new material is three times more resistant to wear than natural human cartilage tissue. Thanks to the impressive safety and efficacy results, scientists are preparing to launch the first clinical trials. The new treatment will aim to replace worn-out cartilage without replacing the entire joint.

Complete knee replacement is usually considered as an extreme measure when conservative therapy (pills, injections, physiotherapy, etc.) has not helped and chronic pain persists. Scientists from Duke University has been working for several years to create a material to replace damaged cartilage. Now they have presented a hydrogel that surpasses the real one in all respects in its properties.

Mechanical tests have shown that hydrogel made of water-absorbing polymers can be compressed and pulled with greater force compared to natural human cartilage, and it is three times more resistant to wear. Promising results were also demonstrated by preclinical experiments on sheep, which were injected with implants.

To create the material, the scientists used thin sheets of cellulose fibers necessary to simulate collagen fibers in natural cartilage. They were filled with polyvinyl alcohol to form a hydrogel. The result is a jelly-like material consisting of 60% water, but at the same time elastic and surprisingly durable, the authors specify.

The implant is 26% stronger than natural cartilage for stretching and 66% for compression.

Currently, the team is preparing to conduct pilot clinical trials, which should begin in 2023. It is planned that in humans, treatment will significantly ease knee pain without replacing the entire joint.

Article by Zhao et al. A Synthetic Hydrogel Composite With a Strength and Wear Resistance Greater Than Cartage is published in the journal Advanced Functional Materials – VM.

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