New Hyaluronic Acid Therapy Presents Chemical and Mechanical Cues Healing Injured Joint Cartilage
April 14, 2021
At joints surrounded by a sac of fluid (synovial joints), such as the knee, articular cartilage forms a thin layer that prevents bone from grinding against bone. Aging and intensive sports erodes or injures articular cartilage resulting in underlying bone to deteriorate, causing considerable pain.
Articular cartilage is composed of glossy and greyish hyaline that does not regenerate easily after injury. Therefore, once articular cartilage is injured, it is important to stabilize the surrounding remaining cartilage and bone, to prevent further deterioration of the joint.
Fortifying and reinforcing the affected cartilage with a surface biocompatible sealant material restores fluid pressure in the tissue and keeps the surface from further loss of fluid and tissue.
Therapy with New Biosealant can Improve Healing After Injury
Written by AZoMApr 12 2021
According to a recent animal-based study performed by scientists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, a novel biosealant therapy could help stabilize injuries that cause the disintegration of
cartilage tissues, opening the door for a future fix or even better start working directly with new cells to improve healing.
Image Credit: SciePro/shutterstock.com
Advanced Healthcare Materials journal.
Our research shows that using our hyaluronic acid hydrogel system at least temporarily stops cartilage degeneration that commonly occurs after injury and causes pain in joints. In addition to pausing cartilage breakdown, we think that applying this therapy can present a surface that is ‘sticky’ for cells, such as stem cells that are routinely injected into joints to counteract injury. This reinforcing hydrogel could actually synergize with those cells to create a