Studies on the effect of degree of hydrophilicity on tissue response of polyurethane interpenetrating polymer networks.

Interpenetrating polymer networks of polyurethane and vinyl monomers such as polyacrylamide, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and poly(methyl methacrylate) were implanted intramuscularly in rabbits. Attempts were made to correlate the morphological aspects of the interpenetrating polymer networks to their histological response. A relatively increased hydrophilicity of hydrophobicity of the interpenetrating polymer networks as in the case of polyurethane-polyvinyl pyrrolidone and polyurethane-poly(methyl methacrylate) interpenetrating polymer networks, respectively, could elicit an inert response whilst degradation of materials promoted reactivity.