Rasyida Amaliya, Purnamabroto Dindra Fai'mundiarti, Purniawan Agung, Pramadio Indra Carllistya, Gapsari Femiana, Ednanda Adelina Salsabila
Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Industrial Technology and Systems Engineering, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember Surabaya 60111 Indonesia
University of Brawijaya Malang Indonesia.
RSC Adv. 2025 Sep 22;15(41):34733-34745. doi: 10.1039/d5ra04291g. eCollection 2025 Sep 17.
Intervertebral disc degeneration is a major contributor to lower back pain worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for effective, minimally invasive regenerative therapies. One of the critical challenges in nucleus pulposus (NP) replacement lies in developing injectable hydrogels with optimal gelation behavior, radiopacity, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility. This study investigates the influence of varying concentrations of NaHPO (0.3%, 0.4%, 0.5%) and BaSO (1%, 1.5%) in ALG/PVA hydrogels through a series of gelation time measurements, radiopacity analysis, mechanical testing, and biocompatibility assays. The optimal formulation, containing 1.5 wt% BaSO and 0.4 wt% NaHPO, achieved a gelation time of 12.5 ± 0.5 minutes, radiopacity of 71-74%, elastic modulus of 0.055 ± 0.015 MPa, and cell viability above 90%, fulfilling key criteria for NP scaffold performance. Although compressive strength remained below physiological requirements, the formulation demonstrated excellent injectability, structural integrity, and biological response. This study offers a novel strategy by combining retarding and radiopaque agents in a single hydrogel system, contributing to the advancement of injectable biomaterials for intervertebral disc regeneration.
椎间盘退变是全球下腰痛的主要原因，这凸显了对有效、微创再生疗法的迫切需求。髓核（NP）置换的关键挑战之一在于开发具有最佳凝胶化行为、射线不透性、机械性能和生物相容性的可注射水凝胶。本研究通过一系列凝胶化时间测量、射线不透性分析、机械测试和生物相容性测定，研究了不同浓度的NaHPO（0.3%、0.4%、0.5%）和BaSO（1%、1.5%）在ALG/PVA水凝胶中的影响。含有1.5 wt% BaSO和0.4 wt% NaHPO的最佳配方的凝胶化时间为12.5±0.5分钟，射线不透性为71-74%，弹性模量为0.055±0.015 MPa，细胞活力高于90%，满足NP支架性能的关键标准。尽管抗压强度仍低于生理要求，但该配方表现出优异的可注射性、结构完整性和生物学反应。本研究通过在单一水凝胶系统中结合缓凝剂和射线不透剂提供了一种新策略，有助于推进用于椎间盘再生的可注射生物材料的发展。
