An intraluminal stent facilitates light-activated vascular anastomosis.

Background: Photochemical tissue bonding (PTB) is a sutureless, light-activated technique that produces a watertight, microvascular repair with minimal inflammation compared to standard microsurgery. However, it is practically limited by the need for a clinically viable luminal support system. The aim of this study was to evaluate a hollow biocompatible stent to provide adequate luminal support to facilitate vascular anastomosis using the PTB technique.

Quantifying the lubricity of mechanically tough polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels for cartilage repair.

Polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels are biocompatible and can be used as synthetic articular cartilage. Their mechanical characteristics can be tailored by various techniques such as annealing or blending with other hydrophilic polymers. In this study, we quantified the coefficient of friction of various candidate polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels against cobalt-chrome alloy or swine cartilage using a new rheometer-based method.

Porous poly(vinyl alcohol)-hydrogel matrix-engineered biosynthetic cartilage.

The objective of this study was to fabricate hydrogel matrix-engineered biosynthetic cartilage using a porous poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel (PVA-H) and articular chondrocytes. Chondrocytes were suspended in fibrin gel (FG) or saline carriers and injected into porous PVA-H discs and three-layered constructs (PVA-H between devitalized cartilage). After implantation in nude mice, PVA discs were explanted at 6 weeks and subjected to creep testing for a 20 h period.

Porous poly(vinyl alcohol)-alginate gel hybrid construct for neocartilage formation using human nasoseptal cells.

Background: Limited options exist for the restoration of craniofacial cartilage. Autologous tissue or porous polyethylene is currently used for nasal and auricular reconstruction. Both options are associated with drawbacks, including donor site morbidity and implant extrusion.

Poly(vinyl alcohol)-acrylamide hydrogels as load-bearing cartilage substitute.

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) has been advanced as a biomaterial for the fabrication of medical devices to be used as synthetic articular cartilage because of its viscoelastic nature, high water content, and biocompatibility. Key material requirements for such devices are high creep resistance to prevent mechanical instability in the joint and high water content to maintain a lubricious surface to minimize wear and damage of the cartilage counterface during articulation. The creep resistance of PVA hydrogels can be increased by high temperature annealing; however this process also collapses the pores, reducing the water content and consequently reducing the lubricity of the hydrogel surface [Bodugoz-Senturk H, Choi J, Oral E, Kung JH, Macias CE, Braithwaite G, et al.

The effect of polyethylene glycol on the stability of pores in polyvinyl alcohol hydrogels during annealing.

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels are candidate biomaterials for cartilage resurfacing or interpositional arthroplasty devices requiring high-creep resistance and high water content to maintain lubricity. Annealing of PVA improves creep resistance but also reduces the water content. We hypothesized that maintaining poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) within PVA during annealing would prevent the collapse of the pores and thus would result in high equilibrium water content (EWC).

Effects of solvent dehydration on creep resistance of poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel.

As a synthetic replacement material for osteochondral defect repair, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels offer a great potential due to their high water content and strong mechanical integrity. To survive the high stress environment in the joint space, high creep resistance becomes one of the key requirements for hydrogel implants. We hypothesized that reducing the equilibrium water content (EWC) of hydrogels would improve their creep resistance.