Two-component system for the in situ preparation of an artificial cartilage

A polymer network comprising

• a cross-linked polymer of two or more acrylic monomers comprising a water soluble acrylic monomer having one acrylate group and a water soluble acrylic monomer having two or more acrylate groups;
• water that is contained in the cross-linked polymer;
• and
• at least one glycosaminoglycan that is contained in the cross-linked polymer;
• wherein the polymer network has a free volume fraction of at least 0.50, wherein the free volume fraction (FVF) is calculated as
• FVF=(1−md/mg)
• wherein md is the mass of the cross-linked polymer after evaporation of all the water that is contained in it, and mg is the mass of the cross-linked polymer when it is saturated with water, wherein the cross-linked polymer is dissolved in the water to form a hydrogel.

A two-component system for the in situ preparation of a polymer network by polymerizing acrylic monomers in the presence of a redox initiator couple comprising an activator and an initiator, the system comprising

• a first container that contains a first aqueous buffer solution comprising the activator;
• and
• a second container that contains a second aqueous buffer solution comprising the initiator;
• wherein one or both of the first aqueous buffer solution and the second aqueous buffer solution further comprise
• a water soluble acrylic monomer having one acrylate group;
• and
• a water soluble acrylic monomer having two or more acrylate groups;
• and
• at least one glycosaminoglycan;
• wherein the combined water content in both containers is at least 50 wt. %, based on the total weight of the contents of both containers, and wherein the total amount of water soluble acrylic monomer is at least 5.0 weight percent of the first and second aqueous buffer solutions.