IIT Guwahati researchers formulated three ingenious treatment solutions for knee injury

The newly found treatment for certain types of knee injury is cost-effective and also accelerates the healing process. Read here for more details.

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati joined hands with the University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, Kolkata to create three ingenious treatment solutions for a certain type of knee injury that has historically proven difficult to treat.

With the development of these new treatments, the researchers have provided possible alternative solutions to manage the problem of a knee meniscus tear, an injury to tissue in one’s knee joints. 

Prof. Biman B. Mandal, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, said, “We have developed regenerative treatment approaches that would be tailored for the patient and help in rapid healing meniscus tears or replacing parts of the damaged tissue. Our problem statement also accounts for the shape and size variability of the meniscus in patients of different age groups, and is a source of growth factors for better healing.”

More Details

The team from IIT Guwahati has created three hydrogel formulations that are blends of silk fibroin and other polymers, which they envision can be used by doctors in clinics, to treat the meniscus injury. These components, especially silk, are well known for their strength, bioactivity and flexibility. They are also cost-effective compared to other materials such as commercially available polyurethane and collagen meniscus implants.

Out of the three, one is an injectable hydrogel, which can be injected in a minimally invasive manner directly into the meniscus site to expedite the healing of smaller injuries. When it comes to treating larger full-thickness complex meniscus tissue injuries, the researchers have additionally created two 3D bio-printable inks that can be 3D printed into implants.  

In the two bioink formulations, one carries commercially available growth factor-loaded microspheres while the second bioink carries patient-derived factors which are released in a sustained manner aiding faster meniscus healing. Both formulations can be 3D printed into a partial or full-sized meniscus and used for healing large portions of the meniscus.

3D printing, or bioprinting, has recently emerged as a popular futuristic method for tissue engineering. Here, the implant is customized as per the patient’s requirements. Typically, the injured knee of the patient is scanned by the doctor, and the specifications are fed to the 3D printer, to create a perfect fit implant using the bioink for the patient to promote rapid recovery.

These new developments signal a significant advancement in treating knee injuries, providing a solution that is custom-made for each patient and could also potentially prevent future complications such as osteoarthritis. 

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