Porous nano-hydroxyapatite/poly(vinyl alcohol) composite hydrogel as artificial cornea fringe: characterization and evaluation in vitro.

A nano-hydroxyapatite/poly(vinyl alcohol) (n-HA/PVA) composite hydrogel was employed as artificial cornea fringe to improve biocompatibility for the firm fixation between material and surrounding host tissues. The morphology and swelling behavior, as well as mechanical strength of the fringes were characterized. The results showed that the n-HA/PVA fringes had interconnective porous structure, high water content and good mechanical properties. With the aid of cell culture observed by inverted microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and MTT test, it was concluded that PVA hydrogel modified with n-HA can improve biocompatibility and has no negative effects on the corneal fibroblasts in vitro. These findings indicate that the porous n-HA/PVA fringe can allow invasion and proliferation of cells, and can function as a fringe for artificial cornea.