title: A large-molecular-weight polyanion, synthesized via ring-opening metathesis polymerization, as a lubricant for human articular cartilage.
abstract: A large-molecular-weight polyanion is found to possess lubricating properties for cartilage. The polyanion, sodium poly(7-oxanorbornene-2-carboxylate), is synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization of methyl 5-oxanorbornene-2-carboxylate. When dissolved in aqueous solution and applied to the surface of human cartilage it reduces the friction at the interface and acts as a lubricant. Its performance is similar to that of synovial fluid and superior to those of saline and Synvisc in an ex vivo human cartilage plug-on-plug model. The polymer is also not readily degraded by hyaluronidase or cytotoxic to human chondrocytes in vitro. As such, this polymer is a new type of viscosupplement, and the results provide insight into the design requirements for synthesizing highly efficacious synthetic biolubricants.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wathier
authors.forename: Benjamin A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Lakin
authors.forename: Prashant N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.forename: Stephanie S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Stoddart
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Snyder
authors.forename: Mark W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Grinstaff
mesh_terms: D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000737:chemistry*; D005663:Furans / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D054327:Lubricants / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D008970:Molecular Weight; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D011090:Polyenes / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D058105:Polymerization; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012212:Rheology
chemical_list: D005663:Furans; D054327:Lubricants; D000071228:Polyelectrolytes; D011090:Polyenes; D011108:Polymers; C000592280:sodium poly(7-oxanorbornene-2-carboxylate)