Preparation and characterization of semi-IPNs of polycaprolactone/poly (acrylic acid)/cellulosic nanowhisker as artificial articular cartilage

Cartilage is a semi-solid resilient and smooth elastic connective tissue and upon damage, its repair is almost impossible or occurs with a very slow recovery process. Polycaprolactone (PCL), used as a biocompatible polymer, withholds all required mechanical properties, except suitable cell adhesion due to its hydrophobicity. In order to resolve this issue, we sought to introduce appropriate semi-IPNs into the system to regain its hydrophilicity...