Effects of ceramic additives and bioactive coatings on the degradation of polylactic acid-based bone scaffolds under hydrolytic conditions

Polylactic acid (PLA) has been extensively used for the manufacturing of scaffolds in bone tissue engineering applications. Due to the low hydrophilicity and the acidic degradation process of this biomaterial, different strategies have been proposed to increase the biofunctionality of the support structure. The use of ceramic particles is a generally preferred option to increase the osteoconductivity of the base material, while acting as buffers to maintain the pH level of the surroundings tissues. Surface modification is another approach to overcome the limitations of PLA for tissue engineering applications. In this work, the degradation profile of 3D-printed PLA scaffolds containing beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) particles has been studied under hydrolytic conditions. Composite samples treated with plasma and coated with Aloe vera extracts were also studied to evaluate the effect of this surface modification method. The characterization of the 3D structures included its morphological, calorimetric and mechanical evaluation. According to the results obtained, the proposed composite scaffolds allowed an adequate maintenance of the pH level of the surrounding medium, with no effects observed on the morphology and mechanical properties of these structures. Hence, these samples showed potential to be further investigated as candidates for bone tissue regeneration.

Automated summary

Polyactic acid (PLA) is commonly used in the manufacturing of bone tissue engineering scaffolds. Different strategies, such as using ceramic particles and surface modification methods, have been proposed to enhance the biofunctionality of PLA scaffolds. This study investigated the degradation profile of 3D-printed PLA scaffolds containing beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) and calcium carbonate (CaCO3) particles under hydrolytic conditions, and evaluated the effect of plasma treatment and Aloe vera extract coating as surface modification methods. The results show that the proposed composite scaffolds effectively maintained the pH level in the surrounding medium and did not have any significant effects on the morphology and mechanical properties of the structures. Therefore, these samples show potential for further research as candidates for bone tissue regeneration.