title: Biodegradation of high-toughness double network hydrogels as potential materials for artificial cartilage.
abstract: This study evaluated biodegradation properties of four novel high-toughness double network (DN) hydrogels as potential materials for artificial cartilage. Concerning each DN gel material, a total of 12 specimens were prepared, and 6 of the 12 specimens were examined to determine the mechanical properties without any treatments. The remaining 6 specimens were implanted into the subcutaneous tissue, using 6 mature female rabbits. At 6 weeks after implantation, the mechanical properties and the water content of the implanted specimens were measured. In the poly(2-acrylamide-2-methyl-propane sulfonic acid)/poly(N,N'-dimethyl acrylamide) DN gel, the ultimate stress and the tangent modulus were significantly increased from 3.10 and 0.20 MPa, respectively, to 5.40 and 0.37 MPa, respectively, with a significant reduction of the water content after implantation (94 to 91%). In the poly(2-acrylamide-2-methyl-propane sulfonic acid)/polyacrylamide DN gel and the cellulose/poly(dimethyl acrylamide) DN gel, the stress (11.4 and 1.90 MPa, respectively) and the modulus (0.30 and 1.70 MPa, respectively) or the water content rarely changed after implantation (90 and 85%, respectively). In the bacterial cellulose/gelatin DN gel, the ultimate stress was dramatically reduced from 4.30 to 1.98 MPa with a significant increase of the water content after implantation (78 to 86%). This study implied that these DN gels except for the cellulose/gelatin DN gel are potential materials that may meet the requirements of artificial cartilage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Medicine and Joint Reconstruction Surgery, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Kita-15 Nishi-7, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
authors.forename: Chinatsu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Azuma
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Yoshie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Taniguro
authors.forename: Fuminori
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kanaya
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Yong Mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jian Ping
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Yoshihito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Osada
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D002356:Cartilage / Q000502:physiology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D020100:Hydrogels; D008422:Materials Testing; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels