3D-printed hydrogel offers new hope for meniscus tear treatment

The meniscus is a complex structure that serves as a critical shock absorber in the knee and one-size-fits-all treatments aren't always effective. Through creating a treatment adaptable to the different needs of patients, the researchers believe they may have unlocked a better fix no matter where the injury occurs in a meniscus. 

We developed a hydrogel that can be adjusted based on the patient's age and the stiffness requirements of the injured tissue, which is important because the meniscus has different biochemical and biomechanical properties that vary depending upon the location in the tissue. Current treatments, including graft-base methods, do not fully recreate these complex differences, leading to poor healing." 

Su Chin Heo, PhD, study's senior author, assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Bioengineering in the McKay Orthopaedic Research Lab at Penn

Hydrogels are flexible, water-absorbing materials commonly found in everyday products like contact lenses and baby diapers. The researchers developed a specialized hydrogel by first extracting proteins from donor cow meniscus tissue. Those proteins then directed new cells to become the right types of repair cells for the damaged meniscus and were used as the basis for the treatment's structures.

To prevent rejection, the team removed cellular components from the cow tissue while preserving its structural framework. This "decellularization" process reduces the risk of immune reactions when implanted, making the treatment both safer and more effective. 

To further customize the hydrogels, Heo and his fellow researchers used 3D-printing techniques to account for the variation in the meniscus tissue. That way, they could more closely match the tissue in the areas they were trying to repair. Mismatched tissues might not heal well. 

"In our animal studies, we've seen the hydrogel integrate well with the surrounding tissue, potentially offering patients a more complete recovery," said the study's first author Se-Hwan Lee, PhD, a post-doctoral fellow in the McKay Lab. "It's a more precise, biologically matched solution. We believe this could outperform current treatments." 

The team is now transitioning from small mammal studies to large animal models.

"Our first clinical goal will be to treat smaller, localized meniscus tears," Heo said. "Once we have success there, I believe we could expand to more complex injuries in the meniscus." 

The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (K01 AR07787, R21 R077700, P30 AR069619, R01 AR056624, R01 HL163168), the National Science Foundation (CMMI 1548571), and Department of Veterans Affairs' CReATE Motion Center (I50 RX004845) in the United States. It was also supported by the Korea Health Technology R&D Project through the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI), funded by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (HI19C1095) and National R&D Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), funded by Ministry of Science and ICT (RS-2024-00405574) in South Korea.