Recon

Silicon implant ‘helps worn knees to regrow’ – and could spare thousands of patients from surgery

By ROSIE TAYLOR FOR THE DAILY MAIL

 

Thousands of patients could avoid painful knee replacements after scientists developed a material to help cartilage regrow.

The ‘bouncy bio-glass’ mimics the structure of cartilage and can be 3D-printed to fit precisely into damaged areas and stimulate new cell growth.

Cartilage – the flexible connective tissue found in joints and between vertebrae in the spine – is difficult to repair.

Using the new material, scientists can create a tiny biodegradable ‘scaffold’ and implant it into a damaged area to encourage existing cartilage cells to grow through microscopic pores in the bio-glass.

Over time, the scaffold degrades naturally and safely in the body, leaving fresh cartilage in its place. Bio-glass, which is based on silica, has been used since the Vietnam War to help regrow bones.

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Josh Sandberg

Josh Sandberg is the President and CEO of Ortho Spine Partners and sits on several company and industry related Boards. He also is the Creator and Editor of OrthoSpineNews.

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