Formation of porous biodegradable scaffolds based on poly(propylene carbonate) using gas foaming technology

Polyester-based scaffolds have been employed in tissue engineering due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, microstructure, and affordability. However, the acidic degradation byproducts of most common polyesters have the potential to cause inflammation and/or necrosis. In this study, we introduce a porous scaffold with benign degradation byproducts fabricated by gas-foaming based on poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) blended with starch and bioglass particles. The pore sizes ranged from 100 to 500 mu m. Manufacturing parameters were tuned from sub-critical to super-critical conditions to optimize porosity, pore size, pore interconnectivity, and mechanical properties. The biological behavior of the constructs was evaluated by in vitro toxicity and proliferation assays and in vivo subcutaneous biocompatibility. Tissue integration was observed in a joint implantation model, supporting the further development of the scaffold for tissue engineering applications.