UNAIR NEWS – Calcification of joints orosteoarthritis still affects many people of Indonesia.Basic Health Research Data of 2013 stated that 30% of Indonesians aged 40-60 years and 65% in people aged over 61 years suffered from osteoarthritis.
The high number of people suffering from calcification of joints inspired Ainun Najah, Hana Zahra Aisyah, and Desi Darmawani, students of 51¶¯Âþ Surabaya, to offer alternative solutions for the problem.
Ainun Najah as the head of the Student Creativity Program “ Exacta Research category (PKM-PE) team, explained thatosteoarthritisis a degenerative disease caused by cartilage erosion.
“In addition to age, the disease is also caused by the body weight.Women also have more risk to suffer fromosteoarthritis, ” she explained.
All this timeosteoarthritistreatmentis done through physiotherapy and by taking certain drugs.For more severe cases, knee replacement surgery is required.
“A moreless invasive solutionis by cartilage replacement as it is easier to fit into theaffectedpart.For example in the form of hydrogel, its application can be done by injection method, “added Hana Zahra.
For that reason, the three students majoring in Biomedical Engineering Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) UNAIR incorporated in the team of PKM-PE utilized collagen found on the skin of tilapia fish as one of the main ingredients of artificial cartilage form of hydrogel.
“We chose the tilapia skin as the main ingredient because this material is easy to obtain and has a very affordable price, so it has the potential to be developed and produced in bulk in Indonesia,” said Desi Darmawani, a member of the team.
Under the guidance of Djony Izak Rudyardjo, M.Si., a research entitled“The Use of Oreochromis niloticus skin as Collagen / PVA Hydrogel Raw Material for Cartilage Application in Osteoarthritis Case”has qualified and obtained research fund from Kemenristekdikti in PKM 2018.
“We want to give hope to people withosteoarthritisthat the limitations of their activities cannot only be handled by surgery, but their productivity can come back with a more simple and economical method,” added Ainun Najah.(*)
Editor: Bambang Bes
