Abstract:
Interconnected pore structure, controllable degradation and good biocompatibility are the keys to repair bone defect. According to the composition design and structure control, the paper initially synthesized biodegradable poly(1, 8-octanediol-
co-xylitol-
co-citrate) (POXC) by partly substituting 1, 8-octanediol with xylitol in polymerization of poly(1, 8-octanediol-
co-citrate) (POC). Controlable degradability could be obtained by adjusting the ratio of component. A novel composite scaffold was fabricated, which consisted of POXC and calcium phosphate bone cement (CPC). Three-dimension printing method was used to prepare the shape of scaffold and pores. The scaffold had a controllable interconnected pore structure with suitable proportion of POXC and CPC. In addition, the printable parameters suitable for the composition suspension were explored, and the degradation, wettability and biocompatibility of the composite scaffolds were evaluated. The results showed that the degradation rate of POXC increased with the increase of xylitol substitution. After degradation for 56 d, the degradation rate of POC/CPC scaffold was only 10% while that of POXC/CPC scaffold increased to 43%. It was due to the synergistic effect of controllable biodegradation of POXC and connecting pores of the scaffold. Furthermore, the xylitol and CPC in scaffold greatly improved the hydrophilicity of the scaffold, which was beneficial to the adhesion, proliferation of cells. The POXC/CPC scaffold had the same mechanical properties with POC/CPC but compressive strength decreased faster with degradation. In conclusion, POXC/CPC possesses interconnected porous structure, good biocompatibility, and controllable degradability and mechanical strength, which can promote the repair of bone defects.