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The unparalleled liquid strength of cartilage, which is about 80 percent water, withstands some of the toughest forces on our bodies. Synthetic materials couldn't match it -- until now. A new Kevlar-based hydrogel recreates the magic of cartilage by combining a network of tough nanofibers from Kevlar -- the "aramid" fibers best known for making bulletproof vests -- with a material commonly used in hydrogel cartilage replacements, called polyvinyl alcohol, or PVA.
Many people with joint injuries would benefit from a good replacement for cartilage, such as the 850,000 patients in the U.S. who undergo surgeries removing or replacing cartilage in the knee.Image credit: Joseph Xu/University of Michigan Engineering
