The bearing surface of human joints consists of cartilage that is supported by the underlying bone. The cartilage and bone tissues can deteriorate, resulting from arthritis or trauma. Joint deterioration can be treated in many ways, but ultimately, the joint is replaced by metal or plastic prosthetic components. Tissue engineering is an alternative that offers the possibility of regenerating native tissues by seeding cells in appropriate biomaterial scaffolds. A tissue-engineered bone-cartilage construct is made by combining two dissimilar materials. The soft material is designed to eventually form cartilage, and the harder material is designed to form bone-like tissue.

This invention is a method of joining a soft, water-filled polymer, known as a hydrogel, to a porous substrate consisting of a metal, ceramic, or organic material to form a composite structure. The method involves capillary infiltration of the porous substrate, followed by curing of the hydrogel by ultraviolet radiation to form a mechanically interlocking interface with the substrate. The hydrogel and the substrate can be seeded with tissue-forming cells and signaling factors for the production of tissue-engineered composites for the repair of joint defects.

File Number: 08UMR001 

Other Information:

Patent Status: Patent Pending – Published Application US 2009/0076624