In vitro and in vivo study of the biocompatibility and adjacent soft tissue response to synthetic polyvinyl formal hydrogel implant

Background: Given a rising tendency in the rate of ocular trauma, there is an increasing need in surgeries for orbital, ocular adnexal and periorbital reconstruction. The susceptibility to resorption is a common drawback of the biological tissues used as a plastic material in contemporary orbital surgery. Non-biological hollow porous polyvinyl formal (PVF) hydrogel implants capable of integration with adjacent biological tissues offer a new opportunity for reconstructive surgery.