Biodegradable composite scaffolds with an interconnected spherical network for bone tissue engineering

Tissue engineering scaffolds are highly engineered structures that accommodate cells, facilitate their expression, and resorb to facilitate regeneration of tissue. A new technique for producing controlled pore shape and pore size interconnectivity offers promise for application as a tissue engineering scaffold. Salt particles were spheroidized in a flame and sintered to provide an interconnecting salt template. The salt template was filled with a carbonated fluorapatite powder and a polylactic polymer to produce a composite scaffold. It was found that a higher pore space is possible with the use of spherical and larger salt particle sizes. This technique can produce scaffolds with good interconnectivity and be suitable for producing pore size graded bodies. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.