Printable Hydrogel Matches the Strength and Elasticity of Human Cartilage

A cartilage-mimicking material created by the Wiley Lab may one day allow surgeons to 3-D print replacement knee parts that are custom-shaped to each patient’s anatomy. Feichen Yang, a graduate student in the Wiley lab, experimented with mixing together two different types of hydrogels -- one stiffer and stronger, and the other softer and stretchier -- to create what is called a double-network hydrogel.  By changing the relative amounts of the two hydrogels, Yang could adjust the strength and elasticity of the mixture to arrive at a formula that best matches that of human cartilage.  Read more on this exciting new development in ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering and in Duke Today.