A new biomaterial could help people regrow cartilage in damaged joints The material restored cartilage in sheeps' joints within six months Similar results could treat knee arthritis without resorting to total knee replacement surgery TUESDAY, Aug. 6, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- A newly developed biomaterial might be able to treat crippling arthritis by prompting the growth of new cartilage, a new animal study suggests. The bioactive material looks like rubbery goo, but it’s actually a complex biological stew designed to mimic natural cartilage in the body, researchers said.
The biomaterial successfully regenerated high-quality cartilage in the knee joints of sheep within six months. If successful in humans, the new material could be used to treat osteoarthritis, which occurs when bones rub together after the cartilage separating them wears down, researchers said. That means the biomaterial could make obsolete the now used to treat severe osteoarthritis.
In the surgery, the bone ends are cut away and replaced with titanium, and the cartilage with plastic. “Cartilage is a critical component in our joints,” said lead researcher , a professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern University. “When cartilage becomes damaged or breaks down over time, it can have a great impact on people’s overall health and mobility.
” “The problem is that, in adult humans, cartilage does not have an inherent ability to heal,” Stupp added in a university news release. “.