New Way Of Treating Sports Injuries

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, University Pennsylvania have come up with a novel way of helping to stabilize injuries that cause cartilage breakdown. They use a two pronged approach by combining the hyaluronic acid hydrogel system with an injection of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells.

This animal based study has been published in Advanced Healthcare Materials. Its senior author, Robert Mauck, PhD, a professor of Orthopedic Surgery found that their hyaluronic acid hydrogel system was able to temporarily stop cartilage degeneration that usually occurs after an injury and causes pain in joints. .

Articular cartilage, a tissue that covers the ends of bones and joints, is responsible for keeping said bones from painfully grinding against each other. Its density and resilience against forces caused by movement allow it to keep our bones protected. However, the complex stresses placed on the human body, especially during an injury, cause it to wear down easily.

That is why Mauck, study lead author Jay Patel, PhD and their team developed this therapy of using modified version of hyaluronic acid. This is a substance is produced by the body’s connective tissue. Once injected into the injured site, it seeps into the pores of the tissue and provides reinforcement. Then, they guide injected stem cells to form a layer to cover the structure.

The researchers were able to prove the effectiveness of this therapy with a large animal model. They also demonstrated that it was retained for at least one week in the joint environment. In addition to this, they also proved that by applying the hyaluronic acid biogel restored regular activity to chondrocytes, the cells within cartilage tissue.

“We’ve shown that this is an innovative technology and methodology for potentially addressing the complexities of treating damaged cartilage tissue that traditionally have made it so difficult,” said Patel. “Next, we hope to translate this technology to more large animal studies and to the clinic in the near future.”

These findings may change the way we treat injuries, especially those of athletes. A transitional grant has been provided by Penn Engineering to create new medical technology. The work now revolves around getting it into clinical use.

Sources:

JOURNAL – Advanced Healthcare Materials
FUNDER – Department of Veterans’ Affairs, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health

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