3D polycaprolactone scaffolds with controlled pore structure using a rapid prototyping system

Abstract

Designing a three-dimensional (3-D) ideal scaffold has been one of the main goals in biomaterials and tissue engineering, and various mechanical techniques have been applied to fabricate biomedical scaffolds used for soft and hard tissue regeneration. Scaffolds should be biodegradable and biocompatible, provide temporary support for cell growth to allow cell adhesion, and consist of a defined structure that can be formed into customized shapes by a computer-aided design system. This versatility in preparing scaffolds gives us the opportunity to use rapid prototyping devices to fabricate polymeric scaffolds. In this study, we fabricated polycaprolactone scaffolds with interconnecting pores using a 3-D melt plotting system and compared the plotted scaffolds to those made by salt leaching. Scanning electron microscopy, a laser scanning microscope, micro-computed tomography, and dynamic mechanical analysis were used to characterize the geometry and mechanical properties of the resulting scaffolds and morphology of attached cells. The plotted scaffolds had the obvious advantage that their mechanical properties could be easily manipulated by adjusting the scaffold geometry. In addition, the plotted scaffolds provided more opportunity for cells to expand between the strands of the scaffold compared to the salt-leached scaffold.

Vascularization in the Bone Repair

“…The high porosity allows for the maximum space of vascularization, osteoblast migration and bone deposition (Karageorgiou and Kaplan 2005). In addition, high porosity has a beneficial effect on the diffusion of nutrients and oxygen, transportation and vascularization (Park et al 2009). The scaffold for bone tissue engineering must possess interconnecting open pores for the maximum potential of vascularization; otherwise, it will be inhibited (Karageorgiou and Kaplan 2005).…”

The inter-sample structural variability of regular tissue-engineered scaffolds significantly affects the micromechanical local cell environment

“…Rapid prototyping techniques can be used in a wide range of scaffold biomaterials such as poly(glycolic acid) [4], poly(lactic acid) [5], polycaprolactone (PCL) [6] and polyethylene glycol [7]. A pre-defined regular computeraided design (CAD) geometry is defined to produce the scaffold in a layer by layer manner [8].…”

Advances in the design of macroporous polymer scaffolds for potential applications in dentistry

“…A substantial amount of scaffold porosity and adequate pore size are usually required for homogeneous cell distribution and interconnection throughout engineered tissues. In addition, increased porosity can have a beneficial effect on the diffusion of nutrients and oxygen, especially in the absence of a functional vascular system [3]. Among the diversity of scaffolding systems available, hydrogel remains a popular choice for a number of biomedical applications.…”