Abstract
Hyaluronan (HA)โbased biomaterials are of interest for bone and cartilage tissue engineering because HA plays an important role in orthopedic tissue development, function, and repair. The goal of this project was to develop a biomaterial that incorporated the constituents of both a hydrogel and a hydrophobic polymer for biomedical applications. A series of amphiphilic graft copolymers consisting of HA, a glycosaminoglycan, and highโdensity polyethylene (HDPE), that is, HAโcoโHDPE, were fabricated. The chemical characteristics, physical and viscoelastic properties, and cytocompatibility of novel HAโcoโHDPE materials were characterized via Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic shear testing, and an in vitro human osteoblast cell study. The esterification reaction between HA and functionalized HDPE resulted in semicrystalline, insoluble powder. The dynamic shear properties of HAโcoโHDPE concentrated solutions were more like natural proteoglycans than the HA control. HAโcoโHDPE was successfully compression molded into disks that swelled upon hydration. Osteoblasts were viable and expressed the osteoblast phenotype after 7 days of culture on HAโcoโHDPE materials. These HAโcoโHDPE materials may have several biomaterial applications in saline suspension or molded form, including orthopedic tissue repair. ยฉ 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2010.