Precision Extruding Deposition of Polycaprolactone and Composite Polycaprolactone/Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

Precision Extruding Deposition (PED) process wasused to directly fabricate Polycaprolactone (PCL) and PCL/Hydroxyapatite (HA) composite tissue scaffolds. HA powder wasmelt blended with PCL, a biodegradable polymer. Scaffolds with controlled pore size porosity were fabricated. The scaffold morphology and the mechanical properties were evaluated using SEM and mechanical testing. In vivo biological studies were conducted to investigate the cellular responses of the PCLscaffolds. Results and characterizations demonstrate the viabilityof the PED process as well as the good mechanical property, structural integrity, controlled pore size, pore interconnectivity, and the biological compatibility of the fabricated scaffolds.