Poly(d, l-lactic)-reinforced akermanite bioceramic scaffolds: Preparation and characterization

Porous akermanite (Ca2MgSi2O7, AKT) ceramic scaffolds are regarded as a potential bioactive material for bone tissue engineering due to their biodegradability and osteostimulatory property. However, the main disadvantages of the porous AKT ceramic scaffolds are their relatively low mechanical strength. The purpose of this study is to prepare poly(d, l-lactic acid) (PDLLA)-reinforced AKT scaffolds (PR-AKT) and further investigate the effect of PDLLA modification on the mechanical strength, biodegradability and bioactive properties. The results showed that the compressive strength of AKT scaffolds was significantly improved by the modification of PDLLA, which was greatly dependent on the PDLLA concentrations. Furthermore, the PR-AKT scaffolds still maintained porous structure with large-pore size of 200-500 µm. The porosity of scaffolds could be effectively tailored by controlling the mass ratio of porogen and AKT powders. When PR-AKT prepared scaffolds were soaked in Tris-HCl solution, the pH value of Tris-HCl solution was reduced indicating the neutralizing effect of PDLLA on the released ions (e.g. Ca2+, Mg2+ and SiO44−) from AKT scaffolds. In addition, it was found that PR-AKT scaffolds maintained good apatite-mineralization ability in simulated body fluids (SBF) and improved the attachment and proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells. Our results indicate that PR-AKT scaffolds have potential for bone tissue engineering application by the virtue of improved mechanical strength, modulated degradability and enhanced cell attachment and proliferation.