Cryogenic Extrusion Printing of PCL-HAW Scaffolds and Self-induced Crystalline Surface Modification

By soaking polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds in a PCL solution, the surface properties of the scaffolds can be modified to improve early bone formation. In the presented study, scaffolds composed of PCL and hydroxyapatite nanowires (HAW) were fabricated by cryogenic extrusion printing. The scaffold surface was subsequently modified by self-induced crystallisation. In this study, the synthesized HAW and scaffolds were analyzed through X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Additionally, the synthesized HAW was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The findings indicate that the surface of PCL-HAW scaffolds developed lamellar crystals, resulting in surface roughness. Furthermore, the results of the biological experiments show that PCL-HAW scaffolds with a layered crystal structure on their surface have the potential to stimulate both proliferation and differentiation of osteogenic precursor cells (MC3T3-E1)..

Automated summary

By soaking PCL scaffolds in a PCL solution, the surface properties can be modified to improve early bone formation. In this study, PCL-HAW scaffolds were fabricated using cryogenic extrusion printing and subsequently modified by self-induced crystallisation. The results indicate that the PCL-HAW scaffolds with a layered crystal structure have the potential to stimulate osteogenic precursor cells.