Fabrication and properties of poly(L-lactide)/hydroxyapatite/chitosan fiber ternary composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

A ternary composite scaffold of poly(L-lactide)/hydroxyapatite/chitosan fibers was fabricated for bone tissue engineering. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that hydroxyapatite particles and chitosan fibers in microscale uniformly distributing in poly(L-lactide) matrix not only increased the mechanical property but also prevented the crack and platelet formation on the pore surface of poly(L-lactide) matrix at cooling. The X-ray diffraction peak intensity of poly(L-lactide) component decrease may be due to the presence of hydroxyapatite particles and chitosan fibers as the crystal nuclei that led to the crystallinity decrease of poly(L-lactide). The in vitro degradation test showed that the degradation of poly(L-lactide) was resisted by enhancing the chitosan fiber content. The bone mesenchymal stem cell culture indicated that the composite scaffolds promoted the attachment and proliferation of cells, which would likely attach to and stretch along the chitosan fibers. Therefore, this ternary composite scaffold will be a promising matrix material for bone tissue engineering.