Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels have desirable characteristics for use as a soft tissue substitute. However, their low mechanical strength and biocompatibility hinder the wide range of biomedical application. Herein, hydroxyapatite blended PVA/HAp composite hydrogel was developed by freeze-thawing and annealing method. The microstructure and rheological properties such as storage and loss modulus are investigated. Samples showed a porous structure with interconnected porosity and HAp distributed uniformly in a PVA matrix. Further, the composite hydrogel showed favorable viscoelastic properties and is suitable for artificial articular cartilage replacement.

Topics
Annealing, Materials properties, Polymers, Biomaterials, Viscoelasticity, Minerals, Rheological properties, Cartilage
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© 2018 Author(s).
2018
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