Rheumatoid arthritis, seronegative, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis are major cartilage-related diseases characterized by swelling, pain, and destruction of joints. The cartilage repair market was valued at USD 1.47 billion in 2022. It is a challenge to develop a scaffold with suitable mechanical, antimicrobial and biocompatible properties which can support the teared cartilage tissues. In this study, a novel scaffold was fabricated and characterized for cartilage repair based on oxidized guar gum (OGG), chitosan (CHI), and polyetheretherketone (PEEK). OGG offers biocompatibility, and lubrication through swelling behaviour, enhancing tissue regeneration. CHI, a biodegradable biopolymer, adds antimicrobial properties. PEEK, an organic thermoplastic which improves mechanical and hydrophilic properties, while reducing friction and wear on the scaffold’s surface. The scaffold, prepared by blending OGG and CHI and dispersing PEEK in solvent, was analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), wettablitiy, antimicrobial efficacy and other characterization techniques. SEM and swelling analysis confirmed porosity of scaffold alongside a 3-D interconnected structure with uniformly distributed peek particles. FTIR spectra verified the cross-linking between the OGG and CHI with bare loading of PEEK. An inhibition zone of 21mm ± 0.5mm was exhibited against Streptococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, proving its antibacterial effectiveness. Conclusively, it can be deduced that the scaffold is biocompatible, non-toxic, and biodegradable with suitable swelling and mechanical properties. It posesses great potential in cartilage repair with novel combination of using a thermoplastic to withstand joint loads.

Fig 1: (A) and (B) SEM images, (C) contact angle (D) Swelling Studies, (E) and (F) anti-bacterial at E.coli and S.Aureus (G) and (H) FTIR of different constituents.

Muhammad Haseeb Hunjra

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