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Elastic modulus of hyaluronic acid hydrogels by compression testing
Rachel Lee1,2, Emily K Hall3,4, Bassam A Aljohani1,5
1School of Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK.
Journal of Materials Science. Materials in Medicine
|July 14, 2025
Summary
This study crosslinked hyaluronic acid into hydrogels, measuring their elastic modulus using contact mechanics. The findings suggest this method is suitable for tissue engineering applications requiring spinal cord contact.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Materials Engineering
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Hyaluronic acid hydrogels are promising for tissue engineering.
- Accurate characterization of hydrogel mechanical properties, like elastic modulus, is crucial for their application.
- Different measurement techniques can yield varying results due to scale-dependent properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize hyaluronic acid hydrogels with low elastic modulus.
- To evaluate the suitability of a contact mechanics approach for measuring hydrogel elastic modulus.
- To compare contact mechanics results with other methods like nanoindentation and rheology.
Main Methods:
- Hyaluronic acid was crosslinked using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide.
- Hydrogels were swollen in water and tested under compression using a low-load mechanical tester.
- Elastic modulus was determined via contact mechanics and stress-strain curves.
- Comparison with nanoindentation and rheology measurements.
Main Results:
- Hydrogels exhibited a low elastic modulus of approximately 30 kPa using contact mechanics.
- Stress-strain curve analysis yielded a comparable modulus of 47 kPa.
- Nanoindentation and rheology revealed significantly lower moduli, indicating scale-dependent behavior.
Conclusions:
- The contact mechanics approach provides relevant elastic modulus values for hydrogels intended for tissue contact applications, such as spinal cord interfacing.
- Discrepancies with other methods highlight the importance of considering the interrogated length scales in hydrogel characterization.
- This research informs the selection and application of hydrogels in biomedical engineering, particularly in tissue regeneration.
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