By NOEL MURPHY
A RESEARCH breakthrough in Geelong could help millions of osteoarthritis sufferers.
Deakin University’s Dr Wren Greene has synthetically mimicked cartilage’s lubrication system and is investigating bacterial cellulose and other porous materials as cartilage replacements.
“Currently artificial joints have a finite lifetime, of 15 to 20 years, with the second replacement having about half that. The goal is to produce materials that can last 40 to 50 years,” he said.
Cartilage provides both lubrication and joint movement without compromising wear.
Dr Greene, an associate research fellow within Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials (IFN), said he had always wondered whether replicating the lubrication system was possible.
“The key to solving the puzzle was realising that we didn’t need to duplicate the entire system. What we needed was a few key aspects where everything was optimised, so, relatively speaking, it was quite simple.
“The challenge has been to get the material right, with the right kind of porosity and permeability and the right mechanical properties.”
