Kangaroo Tendons May Enhance Human Knee Rebuilding Significantly

The possibility of using kangaroo tissue for knee reconstruction is nearing reality, as human trials are scheduled to begin in 2024.

“I’ve consistently maintained that kangaroos represent nature’s most exceptional athletes,” states Dr. Nick Hartnell, an orthopedic surgeon and one of the study’s authors. “These creatures truly stand out with their remarkable abilities, capable of leaping distances of up to 12 meters (39 ft), effortlessly clearing a three-meter (10-ft) fence, and hopping at speeds of 70 km/h (43 mph).”

“After observing their remarkable athleticism, I began contemplating the influence of their tendon structure on these abilities and whether it could potentially be utilized to replace damaged human ligaments,” he expressed.

Advancing Towards Human Xenograft Trial for Injury Repair

After extensive research, Hartnell and his team are advancing towards conducting a human xenograft trial aimed at repairing injuries. Xenografts, involving the transplantation of organs or tissues from another species, are already utilized in certain surgeries, such as using pig heart valves as replacements.

However, the main challenge lies in ensuring biological compatibility. Nevertheless, the team claims to have made a breakthrough in ensuring that the foreign kangaroo tissue would not be rejected by the human recipient.

“Xenografts, which involve utilizing tendons from different species, hold the potential of being a superior option. Yet, the medical field has struggled to find a suitable donor species with robust and durable tendons that won’t be rejected,“ explained Dr. Hartnell.

While harnessing the jumping abilities of kangaroos may not be possible, their tissues offer a promising alternative to current treatments.

Graft Options and Recovery

In the United States, nearly 200,000 ACL ruptures occur annually, with up to a quarter of them requiring additional surgeries. Due to the nature of the injury, extra tissue needs to be grafted at the injury site.

Utilizing grafts from other parts of the patient’s body often leads to increased pain and recovery time, while grafts from deceased donors and synthetic sources pose other challenges for surgeons.

Dr. Hartnell explained, “The supply of cadaveric tendons is very limited, and unfortunately, they tend to be weaker than desired, leaving the patient with a less robust knee.” He added, “Moreover, up to a quarter of all ACL reconstructions fail. In such cases, or when a person has damaged two ligaments simultaneously, or experiences a second injury, treatment options become scarce.“

A Viable and Sustainable Source

The kangaroo tendon not only holds the potential to be the best option but could also be sourced from other industries (such as culling or food production) where this part of the animal is used for pet food or goes to waste.

All the research has been conducted using kangaroo tendons acquired from other industries, ensuring that no live animals were involved in the process.

Dr. Hartnell emphasized, “Kangaroo tendons are biologically superior when it comes to tendons, and it’s unfortunate that their potential is currently being wasted, as they are not being utilized for any purpose.”

Upon the successful completion of the human trial, the team anticipates that kangaroo tendons will become widely utilized in procedures worldwide.

Read the original article on New Atlas.

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