Kevlar Cartilage Could Be Used To Help With Joint Injuries

When you think of Kevlar, you might think of how it is more commonly known for its use in bulletproof vests, which in turn helps to potentially save lives. Now it seems that researchers have found another benefit of Kevlar that could also affect lives in a positive way, and that is through the creation of Kevlar cartilage that could be used to help with joint injuries.

Developed by researchers at the University of Michigan and Jiangnan University, it seems that scientists were stumped trying to create a synthetic material that could potentially match the cartilage in our bodies, at least until they created what is known as “Kevlartilage”, a Kevlar-based hydrogel that mimics the behavior of natural cartilage.

According to the researchers, “The synthetic cartilage boasts the same mechanism, releasing water under stress and later recovering by absorbing water like a sponge. The aramid nanofibers build the framework of the material, while the PVA traps water inside the network when the material is exposed to stretching or compression. Even versions of the material that were 92 percent water were comparable in strength to cartilage, with the 70-percent version achieving the resilience of rubber.”

That being said, it seems that it might be a while before we actually see this being used in hospitals for treatments, but as it stands the university is seeking patent protection and partners to help bring the tech to the market.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Medical
Tags: Health, Science, _cold