Medical technology has developed dramatically in recent decades, but up until now there hasn't been a suitable replacement for human cartilage. According to researchers at the University of Michigan and Jiangnan University, they have created a material made from combining durable Kevlar and a water-absorbing hydrogel that can closely mimic how cartilage behaves in the body. At rest, it will absorb water, and when compressed it will extrude the water while still providing reliable resistance.
This material also solves the problem that scientists have had for years of how to find a way to introduce enough water into the synthetic material to allow for other cells in the body to thrive. This material could potentially enable chondrocytes, the cells that build natural cartilage, to intermingle and create a hybrid solution over time.
