Abstract
The replication method is a widely used technique to produce bioactive glass (BG) scaffolds mimicking trabecular bone. However, these scaffolds usually exhibit poor mechanical reliability and fast degradation, which can be improved by coating them with a polymer. In this work, we proposed the use of custom-made poly(urethane)s (PURs) as coating materials for 45S5 Bioglass®-based scaffolds. In detail, BG scaffolds were dip-coated with two PURs differing in their soft segment (poly(ε-caprolactone) or poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(ethylene glycol) 70/30 w/w) (PCL-PUR and PCL/PEG-PUR) or PCL (control). PUR-coated scaffolds exhibited biocompatibility, high porosity (ca. 91%), and improved mechanical properties compared to BG scaffolds (2–3 fold higher compressive strength). Interestingly, in the case of PCL-PUR, compressive strength significantly increased by coating BG scaffolds with an amount of polymer approx. 40% lower compared to PCL/PEG-PUR- and PCL-coated scaffolds. On the other hand, PEG presence within PCL/PEG-PUR resulted in a fast decrease in mechanical reliability in an aqueous environment. PURs represent promising coating materials for BG scaffolds, with the additional pros of being ad-hoc customized in their physico-chemical properties. Moreover, PUR-based coatings exhibited high adherence to the BG surface, probably because of the formation of hydrogen bonds between PUR N-H groups and BG surface functionalities, which were not formed when PCL was used.
Highlights
Musculoskeletal diseases affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide and represent one of the leading causes of long-term pain and physical disability [1]
Poly(urethane) biomaterials have been proposed as coating materials of porous 45S5 bioactive glass (BG)-based scaffolds to improve their mechanical performance without inhibiting their characteristic bioactive behavior
These scaffolds exhibited significantly improved compressive strength compared to BG scaffolds as such, the amount of polymer forming the coating was much lower compared to the other investigated samples (i.e., KHC2000E2000/BG and PCL/BG)
Summary
Musculoskeletal diseases affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide and represent one of the leading causes of long-term pain and physical disability [1]. Autogenous bone represents the gold standard for bone graft surgery due to its higher osteogenic potential than both allografts and xenografts [4]. Allograft and xenograft implantation increases the risk of rejection as well as the non-negligible risk of transmission of viral pathologies [6,7,8]. In this context, Bone Tissue Engineering (BTE) approaches which aim at supporting new bone tissue growth through biomaterials, cells, and specific biomolecules (e.g., growth factors), used alone or in combination, are emerging as alternatives to traditional therapies [9]. The ideal scaffold for BTE should exhibit biocompatibility, osteoconductivity, osteoproductivity, highly interconnected porosity, suitable mechanical properties to allow bone regeneration and degradability in non-toxic degradation products
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