ArticleJournal of orthopaedic surgery and research2026
Curcumin-loaded dynamic crosslinked injectable hydrogel for annulus fibrosus repair and disc degeneration prevention.
Article in Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveAnnulus fibrosus (AF) defects following discectomy often induce biomechanical instability and inflammatory microenvironment deterioration, key drivers of recurrent herniation and accelerated degeneration. Given the limited self-repair capacity of the AF, this study aimed to develop a novel composite hydrogel integrating immediate mechanical support, tissue adhesion, and sustained anti-inflammatory release to promote functional AF repair.
methodsA composite hydrogel was prepared by incorporating curcumin-loaded liposomes (LIP@CUR) into a Schiff-base-crosslinked network formed between 4-arm polyethylene glycol (4aPEG-OPA) and gelatin. The hydrogel was comprehensively characterized in terms of microstructure, rheological behavior, mechanical properties, degradation profile, and in vitro drug release. Biocompatibility was evaluated using cytotoxicity and hemolysis assays. For in vivo assessment, male Japanese White rabbits (2.5 ± 0.2 kg) were obtained from Wangdu Tonghui Breeding Co., Ltd. (Hebei, China; License No. SCXK (Ji) 2021-006), and an AF defect model was established. Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated by maintaining disc height and by quantifying inflammatory responses (IL-6, TNF-α) and assessing extracellular matrix components (COL I/II) using radiography and histological analyses.
resultsLIP@CUR exhibited uniform particle size (159.68 ± 1.98 nm) with ~ 70% encapsulation efficiency. The composite hydrogel demonstrated rapid in situ gelation (~ 60 s) and a compressive modulus (114.06 ± 13.94 kPa) matching native AF tissue, alongside robust tissue adhesion strength (~ 50 kPa). In vitro assessments confirmed low swelling, controllable degradation, and sustained curcumin release without cytotoxicity. In vivo, the hydrogel group effectively maintained intervertebral disc height and improved MRI signal intensity. Histological and semi-quantitative analyses confirmed a significant downregulation of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6, p < 0.001), alongside enhanced collagen deposition, facilitating structural regeneration of the AF defect.
conclusionThis study successfully developed a functionalized composite hydrogel featuring dual-controlled release, mechanical compatibility, and anti-inflammatory activity. By synergistically providing physical closure and modulating the immune microenvironment, this material offers a promising clinical strategy for preventing postoperative disc recurrence and enhancing AF repair.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.