Abstract
Two series of segmented polyurethanes were obtained and their mechanical and thermal properties as well as their biodegradability and cytotoxicity were evaluated. The chemical nature of the polyurethanes was varied by using either 1,4 butanediol (poly-ester-urethanes, PEUs) or l-lysine ethyl ester dihydrochloride (poly-ester-urea-urethanes, PEUUs) as chain extenders. Results showed that varying the hard segment influenced the thermal and mechanical properties of the obtained polymers. PEUs showed strain and hardness values of about 10–20 MPa and 10–65 MPa, respectively. These values were higher than the obtained values for the PEUUs due to the phase segregation and the higher crystallinity observed for the polyester-urethanes (PEUs); phase segregation was also observed and analyzed by XRD and DSC. Moreover, both series of polymers showed hydrolytic degradation when they were submerged in PBS until 90 days with 20% of weight loss. In vitro tests using a Human Osteoblastic cell line (Hob) showed an average of 80% of cell viability and good adhesion for both series of polymers.
Highlights
Cartilage and bone are the most commonly transplanted tissue after blood and they are the two tissues most attempted to replicate after skin
The PEU and PEUU molecular weights increased from the Polycaprolactone diols (PCLs)
The increase of molecular weight in PEUU530 was lower segmented polyurethanes found in the literature [25,28], the molecular weight was much higher for than in any other PEU or PEUU synthesized
Summary
Cartilage and bone are the most commonly transplanted tissue after blood and they are the two tissues most attempted to replicate after skin. The main challenge in creating suitable devices includes the proper selection of materials and properties For this reason, a wide range of new materials are being investigated including biodegradable synthetic polymers such as poly(α-esters), polymers derived from L-tyrosine, poly(propylene fumarate), and polyphosphazenes [2]. The toxicology of polycaprolactone materials have been studied and mentioned as safe devices for several clinical treatments; injectable scaffold based crosslinked polycaprolactones have been probed for bone regeneration showing good biological properties [3,4,5]. Elastomers such as polyurethanes offer some unique advantages in terms of mechanical flexibility, tissue-biocompatibility, and tunable
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