High-Pressure Compression-Molded Porous Resorbable Polymer/Hydroxyapatite Composite Scaffold for Cranial Bone Regeneration

Fabricating porous scaffolds with sufficient mechanical properties is a challenge for healing bone defects. High-pressure compression-molded (HPCM) porous composite scaffold comprising poly(L-lactide) (PLLA), poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA), and hydroxyapatite (HA) was prepared and showed upregulated mechanical properties due to a solid network structure and a highly ordered crystalline architecture. The compressive yield strength and modulus of the HPCM scaffold molded at 1000 MPa and 180 degrees C were 0.91 and 6.84 MPa, respectively. The HPCM scaffold also exhibited an interconnected porous architecture with porosity greater than 80%, an appropriate degradation rate, and enhanced cell proliferation. Moreover, the HPCM scaffold supported the healing of a rat calvarial defect in vivo.