Lab-made cartilage gel outperforms the real thing in knees affected by arthritis

A synthetic gel-based cartilage that is even stronger and more durable than the real thing has been developed by a team in the US. The scientists behind the gel are so excited by the findings that they hope to begin human clinical trials in 2023.

Knee pain often comes from the progressive wear and tear of cartilage known as osteoarthritis, which affects nearly one in six adults (867 million people) worldwide.

Arthritis knee pain is notoriously difficult to treat. Over-the-counter pain killers, physiotherapy, steroid injections – some people have tried them all and still encounter knee pain.

For people who want to avoid replacing the entire knee joint, there may soon be another option that could help them get back on their feet: the first gel-based cartilage substitute. And apparently it is even stronger and more durable than the real thing.

What is the new gel made from?

The team infused cellulose fibres with polyvinyl alcohol to form a gel. The cellulose fibres act like the collagen fibres in natural cartilage, and give the gel strength when stretched.

The polyvinyl alcohol helps it return to its original shape. The team’s hydrogel can be pressed and pulled with more force than natural cartilage, and is three times more resistant to wear and tear.

“If everything goes according to plan, the clinical trial should start as soon as April 2023,” says Prof Benjamin Wiley, who led the research. “I think this will be a dramatic change in treatment.”

PS Did you know that Arthritis Digest Magazine is labelled the best UK Arthritis blog from thousands of blogs on the web ranked by traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness?