Porous PVA-PAM-AG Multi-Network Hydrogel With High Mechanical Strength

Repairing and regenerating articular cartilage remains a significant challenge, primarily due to its limited self-healing capability. Hydrogel has emerged as a promising candidate due to its resemblance to extracellular matrices. A porous hydrogel of an appropriate size can facilitate cell growth and integrate into the host tissue. However, the presence of pores in hydrogels will significantly reduce mechanical properties, posing challenges in replacing the load-bearing function of articular cartilage. Here, a porous hydrogel was prepared through a gas forming method based on a triple-network hydrogel system of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-polyacrylamide (PAM)-agarose (AG), with a pore size of 100–200 μm. The hydrogel exhibits a compressive modulus of up to 0.79 MPa and a tensile modulus of up to 0.35 MPa, falling within the reference range of articular cartilage. Furthermore, the porous hydrogel exhibits good creep resistance properties. These results suggest that the porous hydrogels with strong mechanical properties hold promise as a replacement material for articular cartilage.