Coating typologies and constrained swelling of hyaluronic acid gels within scaffold pores

► A set of elastomeric scaffolds was prepared and coated with hyaluronic acid. ► The gel is deposited on the pores as disconnected aggregates or a continuous layer. ► The swelling capacity depends on the layer typology and on the scaffold constraint. ► The theory of swelling was adapted to account for the effect of constraint build-up.