# Knee Joint Resurfacing with Anatomic Tissue Engineered Osteochondral Implants

> **NIH VA I01** · PHILADELPHIA VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · —

## Abstract

Abstract
Articular cartilage lines the boney surfaces of joints and efficiently transmits the high stresses that originate
with activities of daily living. However, damage to this tissue is extremely prevalent, with ~9% of the U.S.
population aged 30 and older having osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip or knee. This adversely impacts the many
Veterans with this condition, limiting their ability to carry out many activities of daily living and lowering their
overall quality of life. Unfortunately, there are very few viable treatment options for patients with damaged
articular cartilage, and most culminate in joint replacement with metal and plastic prostheses, which are prone
to wear and ultimately require revision surgery. To address this clinical need, we developed novel hydrogels
that promote the chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and provide a supportive
environment for extracellular matrix deposition and functional maturation of a cartilage-like tissue, both in vitro
and in our Yucatan minipig large animal model of cartilage repair. Moreover, we recently demonstrated that
living, engineered cartilage constructs can be formed into anatomic structures that mimic the complex
geometries of native joint surfaces. We have also developed technology that enables the permanent boney
fixation and in vivo integration of the living implant with existing bone. In this proposal, we capitalize on this
progress to address the `holy grail' of biologic joint resurfacing: replacement of the majority of a load-bearing
articular cartilage surface. Our experiment will use the femoral condyle of the Yucatan minipig as a model, and
success will be assessed via sophisticated and clinically relevant outcome measures. Once validated in this
pre-clinical setting, this technology may be directly translated into human clinical trials, and extended to other
joints in the body. Ultimately, this work may one day eliminate the need for joint replacement with metal and
plastic and alleviate the serious implications of OA in the Veteran population, as well as society as a whole.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10454898
- **Project number:** 5I01RX003375-03
- **Recipient organization:** PHILADELPHIA VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Robert L Mauck
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10454898

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10454898, Knee Joint Resurfacing with Anatomic Tissue Engineered Osteochondral Implants (5I01RX003375-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10454898. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*