Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Polymer-Based Scaffolds Reinforced by Hydroxyapatite

Abstract:

Various polymer-based scaffolds reinforced by the hydroxyapatite (HAp) for bone tissue engineering were successfully synthesized by in-situ co-precipitation method. The influence of HAp in composite scaffolds on the pore morphology, microstructure, and mechanical properties was investigated. The polymer-based scaffolds appeared to be macroporous and an interconnected open pore microstructure with pore size around 200 μm. The pore structure of the composite scaffolds was not much changed by the presence of HAp but the pore size of the composite scaffolds decreased with adding the HAp. The compressive modulus and yield strength of the polymer-based scaffolds improved by the presence of HAp.