Fabrication of gelatin-strontium substituted calcium phosphate scaffolds with unidirectional pores for bone tissue engineering

This study fabricated homogeneous gelatin-strontium substituted calcium phosphate composites via coprecipitation in a gelatin solution. Unidirectional porous scaffolds with an oriented microtubular structure were then manufactured using freeze-drying technology. The resulting structure and pore alignment were determined using scanning electron microscopy. The pore size were in the range of 200-400 mu m, which is considered ideal for the engineering of bone tissue. The scaffolds were further characterized using energy dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Hydroxyapatite was the main calcium phosphate compound in the scaffolds, with strontium incorporated into the crystal structure. The porosity of the scaffolds decreased with increasing concentration of calcium-phosphate. The compressive strength in the longitudinal direction was two to threefold higher than that observed in the transverse direction. Our results demonstrate that the composite scaffolds degraded by approximately 20 % after 5 weeks. Additionally, in vitro results reveal that the addition of strontium significantly increased human osteoblastic cells proliferation. Scaffolds containing strontium with a Sr-CaP/(gelatin + Sr-CaP) ratio of 50 % provided the most suitable environment for cell proliferation, particularly under dynamic culture conditions. This study demonstrates the considerable potential of composite scaffolds composed of gelatin-strontiumsubstituted calcium phosphate for applications in bone tissue engineering.