Natural joint interfaces wear out and/or are damaged causing pain and
disability. They can be currently replaced by artificial surfaces made of
materials or in the near future by magnetic fields. They would benefit
from a PVES (paramagnetic visco-viscoelastic supplement) that can replace
or augment natural joint interfaces or augment total joint replacements.
Joint replacement components can be modular and would benefit from a PVES
to decrease wear and damp impact between modular parts of a single
component. The PVES is a dynamic interface allowing components to be less
rigid. Energy transmission is reduced. PVES can act as an interface
between natural damaged joint surfaces obviating the need for classic
total joint replacement or between the surfaces of artificial joint
components to improve or supplement their function. These PVES can be
controlled by magnetic fields with respect to their location, physical
properties, loads, etc. PVES are typically made of paramagnetic ions and
a substrate molecule. One such PVES can be made of gadolinium ions and
hyaluronic acid to form gadolinium hyaluronate.