Creating stronger materials for biomedical and material world purposes

Tendon and ligament injuries are common among people as they get older and can be a common cause of pain and discomfort. Among the 33 million musculoskeletal injuries in the United States annually, 50% of these injuries are due to tendon and ligament wear and tear. Metal and rigid material replacements, such as autografts and screws, are often used to replace parts of torn tendons due to injury or old age. Metal replacements effectively repair torn tendons but oftentimes the patient with the autograft tends to be uncomfortable and has to consistently ensure that they are not over exerting themselves. If patients with these types of replacement exert themselves too far, they risk reinjury. While these materials provide good strength, they do not provide the necessary flexibility for people to carry out daily functions [28]. Recent studies in tissue engineering explore scaffolding technologies, 3D-printing, and other methods to create biological tissues that can be transplanted into the body. Meanwhile, polymer science has been developing a system of soft, flexible fibers that can be used for biomedical applications and in various other fields such as material construction [29].