Rheological properties of İnjectable hyaluronic acid hydrogels for soft tissue engineering applications

Abstract

Hydrogels are cross-linked three-dimensional (3D) polymeric network, which can hold the water within its porous structure. They have recently been used in various biomedical applications. In this study, injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels were prepared using different concentrations of 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE) as a crosslinker (1-5% w/w) and investigated their rheological, swelling and injectability properties. The results demonstrated that the rheological characteristics of hydrogels enhanced with increasing crosslinker concentration. The elastic modulus of the hydrogels ranged from 280 Pa to 990 Pa, while the complex viscosities were found between 42 Pa.s and 190 Pa.s at an oscillation frequency of 1 Hz. These results clearly suggest that the injectable HA hydrogels are a potential candidate for various soft tissue engineering applications due to their highly tunable rheological properties.