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.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.
