Impact of Fibrin Microparticle Crosslinking Density on Physical and Rheological Properties of Composite Polyethylene Glycol-Fibrin Microparticle Hydrogels for use in Tendon Repair

摘要

This study explores the effects of fibrin microparticle stiffness on the mechanical properties of our composite hydrogels. These properties play a significant role in reestablishing the native tissue properties required for stable tendon wound healing. In this work, we were able to control the crosslinking density and therefore stiffness of our Fbn-μP, which could affect the overall stiffness of our composite hydrogels. Finding an optimal crosslinking density of the fibrin microparticles could contribute to enhanced tissue integration and regeneration. Ongoing work is utilizing rheometric measurements to characterize the viscoelastic behavior of our composite hydrogels containing relatively low, medium, and high Fbn-μP concentrations with varying crosslinking densities (Fig. 1 ⅲ). Storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G") will be determined to measure the stiffness and viscous energy dissipation of the composite hydrogels, respectively.