Cartilage

The utility of the humble mussel in the world of medicine has expanded once again. This time, researchers figured out how to use a mussel-based glue to hold stem cells in place long enough to repair cartilage inside a rabbit's body.

A torn meniscus, the cartilage in the knee, is a common sports injury, and unfortunately it doesn’t heal well. But researchers in Japan have now identified a hormone that helps repair the cartilage after a surgical treatment.

Joint pain is a common ailment of aging, thanks to cartilage’s tendency to wear out. Researchers at Duke University have developed a new hydrogel that’s stronger and more durable than the real thing, which could make for longer lasting knee implants.

When cartilage in joints such as the knees gets damaged, it is very slow to heal – if it ever does at all. An experimental new biohybrid material could one day replace it, however, and may even promote the growth of new natural cartilage.

Tennis players are susceptible to wrist cartilage injuries, which may not even present any symptoms at first. A van-based MRI system was designed with that in mind, as it can spot such injuries right at the tennis court, before they become serious.

By stimulating cells to reproduce, electricity has already been shown to help heal soft tissue injuries. Now, an electricity-producing implantable material likewise appears to boost the regrowth of cartilage in compromised joints.

Paleontologists have isolated cartilage cells from an exceptionally well-preserved dinosaur fossil. They still contain traces of biomolecules, and the scientists were even able to tell which stage of the natural cycle specific cells were in at death.

A new, dissolving, textile-based stem cell implant has reduced pain and restored hip joint function to dogs with moderate osteoarthritis, in what researchers say could be a first step toward less invasive joint resurfacing in dogs as well as humans.

The University of Alberta has developed a new technique for 3D printing cartilage in custom shapes. This can be used to repair the noses of skin cancer patients, saving them the trouble of having cartilage samples taken from other parts of the body.

As anyone with arthritis will know, cartilage plays a vital role in allowing our joints to move freely. Scientists have now replicated its qualities in a synthetic self-lubricating material, that only needs occasional infusions of water.

Once it's been injured, the protective cartilage in our knees and other joints heals very slowly – if at all. A new injectable gel, however, could both reinforce the tissue after it's been damaged, and encourage new cartilage to grow over top of it.

Although anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to tackle conditions like osteoarthritis, there are downsides to our current methods of delivery. New research at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis could address these shortcomings.