Abstract
Designing materials for cartilage replacement raises several challenges due to the complexity of the natural tissue and its unique tribomechanical properties. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels have been explored for such purpose since they are biocompatible, present high chemical stability, and their properties may be tailored through different strategies. In this work, the influence of preparation conditions of PVA hydrogels on its morphology, water absorption capacity, thermotropic behavior, mechanical properties, and tribological performance was evaluated and compared with those of human cartilage (HC). The hydrogels were obtained by cast-drying (CD) and freeze-thawing (FT), in various conditions. It was found that the method of preparation of the PVA hydrogels critically affects their microstructure and performance. CD gels presented a denser structure, absorbed less water, were stiffer, dissipated less energy, and withstood higher loads than FT gels. Moreover, they led to friction coefficients against stainless steel comparable with those of HC. Overall, CD hydrogels had a closer performance to natural HC, when compared to FT ones.
Highlights
Articular cartilage (AC) is a connective tissue whose primary function is to provide a smooth and lubricated joint surface, mediating the transmission of loads with low friction [1]
Similar findings are reported by other authors, which attributed it to differences in the network structure, as will be discussed below [11,26,27]
Perfetti et al [28] did not found significant differences in a study that aimed to evaluate the effect of drying temperature on the morphology of Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) cast films
Summary
Articular cartilage (AC) is a connective tissue whose primary function is to provide a smooth and lubricated joint surface, mediating the transmission of loads with low friction [1]. Because of its avascular nature, cartilage has a poor nutrient supply and a slow turnover of the extracellular matrix, whereby damaged tissues have a limited ability to self-repair [2]. Depending on the nature and extent of damage, regeneration or replacement is possible through different techniques. Procedures such as marrow stimulation (e.g., microfracture, drilling, and abrasion arthroplasty), AC grafts, Materials 2019, 12, 3413; doi:10.3390/ma12203413 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials. Materials 2019, 12, 3413 and cell-based therapies have been successfully used [3,4]. Stimulation techniques have a limited repairing capacity. The heat generated by drills and high-speed burrs can cause damage to the subchondral bone [4]
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