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Evaluation of the physico-mechanical properties, mineralization capability, degradability and biological behavior of PCL/SBG composite scaffolds fabricated by three-dimensional fiber deposition

Polymer Composites, ISSN: 1548-0569
2024
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In bone tissue engineering, polycaprolactone (PCL) has been extensively employed as a bone substitute due to its good biocompatibility, outstanding mechanical properties, controllable degradation rate, and excellent processability. However, PCL is a bioinert polymer with poor hydrophilicity, and it fails to actively induce new bone formation after implantation into the lesion. Therefore, it is generally necessary to find a bioactive material to improve these deficiencies of PCL. In this study, we first prepared a silicate-based bioactive glass (SBG, 48SiO-24NaO-24CaO-4PO, in mol%) using the melt-quenching method, and then fabricated a series of PCL/SBG composite scaffolds with varying SBG powder contents (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 wt.%) by 3D fiber deposition. The physico-mechanical properties, mineralization capability, degradability and biological behavior of PCL/SBG scaffolds were systematically characterized. The results showed that the contact angle of the scaffolds decreased from 121.90 ± 3.74° to 86.29 ± 3.46° with the increase of SBG content, implying that the hydrophilicity was improved, and meanwhile the porosity and mechanical strength of PCL/SBG scaffolds first increased and then decreased, but they were within the range of human cancellous bone. Additionally, the degradation rate of PCL/SBG groups can be regulated by adjusting the SBG content. Finally, compared to the pure PCL group, the cell viability and alkaline phosphatase activity of MC3T3-E1 on PCL/SBG groups were significantly enhanced. In the present work, the PCL/30SBG group exhibited great potential as a viable alternative to autografts and offers promising clinical applications for bone defect repair in the future. Highlights: The addition of SBG powders accelerates the degradation of PCL. The addition of SBG powders enhances the hydrophilicity of PCL scaffolds. The degradation rate and bioactivity of PCL/SBG scaffolds can be regulated. The mechanical strength is within the range of human cancellous bone. PCL/30SBG shows improved cell viability and ALP activity.

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