Infiltrating Biomaterials for Cartilage Repair
Healthy joints requires healthy articular cartilage. In joint disease, such as osteoarthritis, articular cartilage is damaged, compromising its functions of load transmission and lubrication, ultimately leading to joint pain that limits mobility. In this research, a team led by Prof. Eng Kuan Moo investigated the effect of a tissue-infiltrating bioagent called HAMA on the dynamic viscoelasticity of articular cartilage. They created a healthy and damaged cartilage model in the lab using food-grade pig’s knee. Healthy and degraded cartilage were treated by HAMA and tested for their mechanical properties. They found that HAMA treatment synergistically restored the viscoelastic dynamic properties of damaged cartilage to match those of healthy cartilage. Healthy cartilage was minimally affected by HAMA. This study provides support to the use of HAMA in stabilizing and reinforcing damaged cartilage. HAMA may be a promising alternative for joint preservation therapy to slow the progression of early osteoarthritis.
Read more: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2026.113568
