Porogen-based solid freeform fabrication of polycaprolactone–calcium phosphate scaffolds for tissue engineering

Drop on demand printing (DDP) is a solid freeform fabrication (SFF) technique capable of generating microscale physical features required for tissue engineering scaffolds. Here, we report results toward the development of a reproducible manufacturing process for tissue engineering scaffolds based on injectable porogens fabricated by DDP. Thermoplastic porogens were designed using Pro/Engineer and fabricated with a commercially available DDP machine. Scaffolds composed of either pure polycaprolactone (PCL) or homogeneous composites of PCL and calcium phosphate (CaP, 10% or 20% w/w) were subsequently fabricated by injection molding of molten polymer-ceramic composites, followed by porogen dissolution with ethanol. Scaffold pore sizes, as small as 200 μm, were attainable using the indirect (porogen-based) method. Scaffold structure and porosity were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and microcomputed tomography, respectively. We characterized the compressive strength of 90:10 and 80:20 PCL–CaP composite materials (19.5±1.4 and 24.8±1.3 Mpa, respectively) according to ASTM standards, as well as pure PCL scaffolds (2.77±0.26 MPa) fabricated using our process. Human embryonic palatal mesenchymal (HEPM) cells attached and proliferated on all scaffolds, as evidenced by fluorescent nuclear staining with Hoechst 33258 and the Alamar Blue™ assay, with increased proliferation observed on 80:20 PCL–CaP scaffolds. SEM revealed multilayer assembly of HEPM cells on 80:20 PCL–CaP composite, but not pure PCL, scaffolds. In summary, we have developed an SFF-based injection molding process for the fabrication of PCL and PCL–CaP scaffolds that display in vitro cytocompatibility and suitable mechanical properties for hard tissue repair.