Researching Cartilage Damage

Posted: April 1, 2004

Cartilage is the slippery material that cushions the ends of bones. As people age, the cartilage in a joint breaks down, causing pain when the joint is used. New research from Duke University offers potential for a new way of repairing cartilage damage.

Duke biomedical engineers developed a method of using a natural polymer to fill in and protect cartilage wounds within joints. It also provides supportive scaffolding to encourage the growth of new cartilage.

The Duke researchers tested the technique on rabbits. The study appears in the March 2004 issue of the Annals of Biomedical Engineering.

Cartilage is a tissue that does not have the ability to heal itself, so there cannot be any healing without outside intervention. Arthritis sufferers could benefit from studies that seek to better understand cartilage and cartilage repair.

For example, in osteoarthritis, there is focused, progressive loss of cartilage along with changes in the bone, which leads to bony overgrowth. The tissue lining of the joint can become inflamed and pain results when the joint is used.

“There are still many hurdles and challenges to overcome, but we have been very encouraged by the positive results to date," researcher T. Parker Vail said.

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