Hyaline cartilage is a material which exhibits ideal tribological properties by maintaining naturally low friction, leading to high wear resistance in articulating joints. When damage to hyaline cartilage occurs, due to diseases such as osteoarthritis or traumatic tissue injuries, tissue regeneration is limited due to cartilage’s avascular and aneural nature. The resulting bone-on-bone contact causes serious pain and limited mobility. Current treatment options are limited to total or partial joint replacements, which are not ideal procedures due to long term failure of components and osteolysis. A vastly improved material is desirable, which better mimics the structure and excellent tribological behavior of natural cartilage.
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