Strength Improvement of a Functionally Graded and Layered Composite Membrane for Guided Bone Regeneration in Orthopedics

Fabrication of 3-layered composite membranes comprising of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA)/nanoapatite (NAp)/lauric acid (LA)using thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) technique showed a significant increase in tensile strength from 1.54 to 2.27 MPawhen TIPS freezing temperature reduced from −18 to−25 °C, respectively. Moreover, an increase in PLGA content at 20wt% in all layers of the membrane composition has increased the tensile strength to 2.45 MPa at −25 °C. A potential guided bone regeneration (GBR) barrier membrane with improved space-making properties (balanced stiffness and elasticity) is obtained by the utilization of TIPS technique and graded membrane compositions for orthopaedic applications.