Biomedical Laboratory Science

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Showing posts with label Cartilage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cartilage. Show all posts

Saturday, August 13, 2016

'Living' Cartilage Grown Using Stem Cells Could Prevent Hip Replacement Surgery

An alternative to hip replacement surgery may be in sight. In the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers reveal how it may be possible to use a patient's own stem cells to grow new cartilage in the shape of a hip joint.

Furthermore, the team - including researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO - says it is possible to program the newly grown cartilage to release anti-inflammatory molecules, which could stave off the return of arthritis - the most common cause of hip pain.

According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), osteoarthritis is the primary cause of hip joint damage that requires hip replacement surgery, causing severe pain and disability.

Hip replacement surgery, also known as arthroplasty, involves surgically removing the diseased part of the hip and replacing it with new, prosthetic parts. Each year in the United States, more than 332,000 hip replacement surgeries are performed.


Researchers describe how they could use a patient's own stem cells to grow new cartilage that covers
a 3-D scaffold molded to the shape of their hip joint.

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Arthritis in the Knee: What You Need to Know

Arthritis of the knee can make taking a step painful. Swelling, pain, and stiffness in the joint are just some of the symptoms that can occur when a person has this condition.

The knee joint is a hinge joint, named for its movement that's similar to the opening and closing of a door.

The joint consists of three main bones. The areas where each of these bones meet are covered in a protective material called cartilage. Additional pieces of cartilage known as the meniscus further support the knee.

All of these protective pieces of cartilage keep the bones in the knee from rubbing together, which can be very painful.


There are many different kinds of arthritis that can affect the knee. Common ones include osteoarthritis
and rheumatoid arthritis.
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