Manufacturing Technology of 316L Stainless Steel/Poly(<i>Lactic acid</i>) Composite Braids and the Induction of Hydroxyapatite Formation on the Braid

Abstract

Many biodegradable synthetic polymers have been used as tissue-engineered scaffolds. The major problem of these polymers to be used in bone tissue engineering is their poor mechanical strength. It is well known that we can deposit hydroxyapatite, a material with strong osteoconductivity, onto a surface using electrochemical methods. These polymers, again, lack electrical conductivity so that deposition of hydroxyapatite onto these polymers is very challenging, if not impossible. Here we presented a novel scaffold for bone tissue engineering based on textile technology. First, we fabricated 316L stainless steel/poly(lactic acid) composite ply yarn by wrapping stainless steel wires and poly(lactic acid) yarn together. A 16-spindle braiding machine was then used to braid the composite yarn layer by layer into a 3-dimensional scaffold for bone tissue engineering. Furthermore, due to the electrical conductivity of 316L stainless steel wires in the composite yarn, we employed an electrochemical method to induce hydroxyapatite deposition on the braid. SEM was used to evaluate the growth of hydroxyapatite formation on the braid.