I-Corps: High Lubricity Biomimetic Meniscus

Award ID: 2029961

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a fabrication of synthetic meniscus or cartilage and other medical devices. Approximately one million knee arthroplasties are performed yearly in the United States, with an expected yearly increase of 50% by 2025. Given the average cost of knee replacements ($40,000) and the rising number of surgeries, the estimated market for knee replacement surgeries is over $40 billion per year in the US alone. The proposed technology represents the first synthetic meniscus. This meniscal implant may provide a safe, less invasive, less costly, and superior alternative to conventional knee arthroplasty and competing technologies. This technology might apply to other devices, such as syringes and catheters. This I-Corps project is based on the development of a textured polymer surface that promotes lubricity. The technology was inspired by the lubrication mechanism of natural articular cartilage. When a load is applied onto cartilage, synovial fluid within the cartilage matrix generates a hydrodynamic repulsive force as the fluid drains out. This in turn shifts the mode of lubrication from the boundary lubrication regime (where friction is typically high) to the hydrodynamic lubrication regime, resulting in ultra-low friction (i.e., high lubricity). The same concept can be applied in the fabrication of synthetic polymer surfaces by the judicious choice of the polymer engineered to hold a fluid that extrudes when a load is applied. The novel lubrication mechanism can operate over a wide range of shear velocities and applied loads. Such an artificial cartilage may offer shock absorbency (since the polymer is elastic), high lubricity in aqueous environments, and low surface wear rates, which are all desirable properties for an effective artificial meniscus replacement. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Molly Wasko