JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE, cilt.139, sa.44, 2022 (SCI-Expanded)
Hyaline cartilage can be defined as a "biological bearing material" with an engineering approach. Movement causes friction between joints while lubricants provide separation between the two surfaces, reducing or preventing frictional wear. This study describes an injectable hybrid hydrogel consisting of a hyaluronic acid matrix filled with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) particles that can mimic the rheological properties of joint fluid. hBN is a good lubricant and a strong candidate for biomedical applications with its unique tribological properties. The hypothesis established is that the lubricating property of hBN may alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA) and improve the person's life quality. A new formulation and strategy for articular injections are proposed. The focus of the present work is the presentation of the rheological profile of hyaluronic acid-boron nitride (HA-hBN) hybrid hydrogels. Structural and physical characterizations have shown that BN-HA hybrid hydrogels can be produced in injectable form, their compatibility with HA strongly depends on surface modification of BN, and they are promising candidates for the treatment of OA by evaluating the frequency range of walking and running.