Reinforcing an Injectable Gelatin Hydrogel with PLLA Microfibers: Two Routes for Short Fiber Production

Short poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) microfibers have been produced in order to disperse them into the gelatin solution and enable injection in the tissue defect prior to gel formation. Two methods for fabrication of loose fibers with submicrometric dimensions are presented in this paper. One is based on manufacturing electrospun meshes and subsequent milling (PLLA-ES) and the other involves projection of a PLLA solution into a high turbulent non-solvent medium (PLLA-HT). Composites produced with PLLA-ES show a compression Young's modulus from 2.65kPa for the pure gelatin to 6.69kPa for the composite with 1.5% PLLA-ES fibers. The new injectable gelatin-fiber composites are not cytotoxic.