A novel injectable hydrogel in combination with a surgical sealant in a rat knee osteochondral defect model

Osteochondral defects are frequent, painful, debilitating and expensive to treat, often resulting in poor results. The goal of the present study was to synthesize and characterize a novel biocompatible and biodegradable hydrogel comprised of poly(ethylene glycol), gelatin, and genipin, and examine the hydrogel as an injectable biomaterial in combination with a cyanoacrylate-based surgical sealant for cartilage repair. An osteochondral knee defect was generated in 24 rats, then the hydrogel, with or without a surgical sealant, was injected into the defect and followed for 14 days. The results demonstrated that the hydrogel is biocompatible and biodegradable, and that the cyanoacrylate-based surgical sealant is a relatively safe option for maintaining the hydrogel in the defect. This is the first study describing a cyanoacrylate-based surgical sealant in combination with a polymer hydrogel for cartilage repair.