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Porous polymer/hydroxyapatite scaffolds: characterization and biocompatibility investigations

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Abstract

Poly-lactic-glycolic acid (PLGA) has been widely used as a scaffold material for bone tissue engineering applications. 3D sponge-like porous scaffolds have previously been generated through a solvent casting and salt leaching technique. In this study, polymer–ceramic composite scaffolds were created by immersing PLGA scaffolds in simulated body fluid, leading to the formation of a hydroxyapatite (HAP) coating. The presence of a HAP layer was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflection mode. HAP-coated PLGA scaffolds were tested for their biocompatibility in vitro using human osteoblast cell cultures. Biocompatibility was assessed by standard tests for cell proliferation (MTT, WST), as well as fluorescence microscopy after standard cell vitality staining procedures. It was shown that PLGA–HAP composites support osteoblast growth and vitality, paving the way for applications as bone tissue engineering scaffolds.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the European Union for financial support within the framework of the MyJoint Project (FP-6 NEST 028861), Dr. P. Dobrzynski (CMPW, PAN, Zabrze, Poland) for the synthesis of PLGA, and G. Otto for excellent technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Strasse 16, 24105, Kiel, Germany

    Timothy Douglas, Dominik Hauk, Jörg Wiltfang & Patrick H. Warnke

  2. Department of Biomaterials, Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059, Kraków, Poland

    Elzbieta Pamula

  3. Epsom and St. Helier University Hospital NHS Trust and South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre, University of London, London, UK

    Sureshan Sivananthan

  4. Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

    Eugene Sherry & Patrick H. Warnke

Authors
  1. Timothy Douglas
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  2. Elzbieta Pamula
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  3. Dominik Hauk
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  4. Jörg Wiltfang
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  5. Sureshan Sivananthan
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  6. Eugene Sherry
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  7. Patrick H. Warnke
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Correspondence to Timothy Douglas.

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Douglas, T., Pamula, E., Hauk, D. et al. Porous polymer/hydroxyapatite scaffolds: characterization and biocompatibility investigations. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 20, 1909–1915 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-009-3756-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-009-3756-7

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