Synthetic hydrogels do not have sufficient strength to serve in many therapeutic and prosthetic applications. One promising approach to creating stronger synthetic hydrogels involves the formation of a grafted network between two polymers, one of which contributes most of the water uptake properties, while the other contributes most of the strength characteristics. This Phase I work proposes to evaluate a novel family of totally synthetic hydrogels based on the two-polymer graft concept. Each of the polymer components is water-soluble and has a good history of biocompatibility. The hydrogels are clear and show promising water uptake and toughness properties. Moreover, they can be prepared in a wide range of compositions by simple processes which do not require the removal of organic solvents. Many of the synthetic details have already been established for the materials, but quantitative mechanical testing remains to be done. These Phase I studies will compare the mechanical properties of the new materials to those of traditional synthetic hydrogels to demonstrate real strength improvements.
