High strength polyvinyl alcohol/polyacrylic acid (PVA/PAA) hydrogel fabricated by Cold-Drawn method for cartilage tissue substitutes

Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel has been considered as promising cartilage replacement materials due to its excellent characteristics such as high water content, low frictional behavior and excellent biocompatibility. However, lack of sufficient mechanical properties and cytocompatibility are two key obstacles for PVA hydrogel to be applied as cartilage substitutes. Herein, Polyacrylic acid (PAA) has been introduced into PVA hydrogel to...