Viscoelastic behavior of HAp reinforced polyvinyl alcohol composite hydrogel for tissue engineered articular cartilages

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.