News Health & Medicine

Hurt-Knees Rx: Surgical method promotes ligament regeneration

By Patrick Barry

- More than 2 years ago

Artificial knee ligaments incorporating live cells led to growth of new ligament tissue in recent experiments in rabbits. The technique could eventually provide an alternative surgery for athletes and others with knee injuries.

NEW GROWTH. Ligament (arrow) is vulnerable to damage in the human knee (left). Cross-section of a recently developed artificial ligament (right) 12 weeks after surgery shows new ligament tissue (green indicates collagen, purple indicates cells) filling the spaces between the polymer threads (white) of the implant.