Elsevier

Materials Science and Engineering: C

Volume 95, 1 February 2019, Pages 363-370
Materials Science and Engineering: C

Biphasic calcium phosphate scaffolds with controlled pore size distribution prepared by in-situ foaming

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2018.03.022Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Multi-scaled porous calcium phosphate scaffolds were fabricated by polyurethane foaming.

  • Pore size distribution of the scaffolds was fully controlled by the ratio of input reactants.

  • An apatite layer was formed on the samples containing α-TCP when immersed in SBF.

  • The scaffolds were well supportive to proper attachment and viability of normal human cells.

Abstract

In this study, a reproducible method of fabricating hierarchically 3D porous scaffolds with high porosity and pore interconnectivity is reported. The method is based on in-situ foaming of a dispersion of diisocyanate, polyol, water and hydroxyapatite (HA) to form a hard foamed HA/polyurethane composite which after heat treatment provided a bi-phase calcium phosphate scaffold. This technique, combining the advantages of polymer sponge and direct foaming methods, provides a better control over the macrostructure of the scaffold. A modification of the multi-scaled porous macrostructure of scaffolds produced by changing the ratio of input reactants and by sintering temperature was studied. The pore morphology, size, and distribution were characterized using a scanning electron microscope and mercury porosimetry. The pores were open and interconnected with multi-scale (from several nanometres to millimetres) sizes convenient for using in tissue engineering applications. The bioactivity was confirmed by growing an apatite layer on the surfaces after immersion in simulated body fluid. The material was biocompatible, as shown by using normal human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASC). When seeded onto the scaffolds, the ASC adhered and remained healthy while maintaining their typical morphology.

Keywords

Calcium phosphate
Scaffold
Porosity
Bioactivity
Biocompatibility

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