Liposomes as potential biolubricant additives for wear reduction in human synovial joints

Wear processes occurring in synovial joints, mainly known as osteoarthritis (OA), affect many people worldwide. One of the symptoms of OA is wear of articular cartilage; it is thought that among other factors this may be due to failure of lubrication. Injections of biolubricants into human joints can be used in order to maintain the proper functioning of the joint. Phosphatidylcholines, being major constituents of synovial fluid surface active phospholipids, are natural candidates for investigation as additives for cartilage lubricants. Wear tests are described using human cartilage-on-cartilage scheme, in vitro, in the presence of different phospholipid-based liposomal bio-lubricating fluids. It is shown that most liposome additive-based lubricants induce less wear in comparison to inflamed synovial fluid.