Engineering team develops multifunctional tendon-mimetic hydrogels

  Originally published by The University of Hong Kong

 

 


 Fabrication process of the anisotropic tendon-mimetic hydrogel. Credit: The University of Hong Kong

Repairing or replacing injured tendons or similar load-bearing tissues represents one of the major challenges in clinical medicine. Natural tendons are water-rich tissues exhibiting outstanding mechanical strength and durability. Their mechanical properties originate from sophisticated microscale structures involving stiff collagen fibrils aligned in parallel and interlaced with soft water-retaining biopolymers. 

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