Piezoelectricity enhances healing of cartilage in the knee

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Bernie
Posts: 1292
Joined: Sat Sep 23, 2006 2:25 am
Location: Vancouver

Piezoelectricity enhances healing of cartilage in the knee

Post by Bernie »

Hot off the press: Many yinsters know about piezoelectricity...the tiny currents of electricity created when we stress our tissues (tension or compression). Well, here is an interesting studyfor all the kneedy people (people with knee issues): University of Connecticut researchers have regrown knee cartilage by generating piezoelectricity through bending implanted membranes, at least in rabbits.

"...they've discovered that electrical signals are key to normal growth. They designed a tissue scaffold made out of nanofibers of poly-L lactic acid (PLLA), a biodegradable polymer often used to stitch up surgical wounds. The nanomaterial has a neat property called piezo-electricity. When it is squeezed, it produces a little burst of electrical current. The regular movement of a joint, such as a person walking, can cause the PLLA scaffold to generate a weak but steady electrical field that encourages cells to colonize it and grow into cartilage. No outside growth factors or stem cells (which are potentially toxic or risk undesired adverse events) are necessary, and crucially, the cartilage that grows is mechanically robust."

Sounds like what we do to our tissues in yoga!
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