Document Type
Article
Original Publication Date
2013
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering
Volume
2013
Issue
Article ID 561273, 9 pages
DOI of Original Publication
10.1155/2013/561273
Date of Submission
August 2014
Abstract
One major limitation of electrospun scaffolds intended for bone tissue engineering is their inferior mechanical properties. The present study introduces a novel strategy to engineer stiffer scaffolds by stacking multiple layers and cold welding them under high pressure. Electrospun polydioxanone (PDO) and PDO:nanohydroxyapatite (PDO:nHA) scaffolds (1, 2, or 4 layered stacks) were compressed either before or after mineralizing treatment with simulated body fluid (SBF). After two weeks in SBF, scaffolds were analyzed for total mineral content and stiffness by Alizarin red S and uniaxial tensile testing, respectively. Scaffolds were also analyzed for permeability, pore size, and fiber diameter. Results indicated that compression of multiple layers significantly increased the stiffness of scaffolds while reducing mineralization and permeability. This phenomenon was attributed to increased density of fibers and loss of surface area due to fiber welding. Statistics revealed, the 4-layered PDO:nHA scaffold compressed first followed by mineralization in revised SBF had maximal stiffness, low permeability and pore size, and mineralization second only to noncompressed scaffolds. Within the limitations of permeability and pore size, this scaffold configuration represents an optimal midway for desired stiffness and mineral content for bone tissue engineering.
Rights
Copyright © 2013 Parthasarathy A. Madurantakam et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Is Part Of
VCU Biomedical Engineering Publications
Comments
Originally published at
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/561273