title: Three-dimensional porous biodegradable polymeric scaffolds fabricated with biodegradable hydrogel porogens.
abstract: We have developed a new fabrication technique to create three-dimensional (3D) porous poly(epsilon-caprolactone fumarate) (PCLF) scaffolds using hydrogel microparticle porogens, as an alternative to overcome certain limitations of traditional scaffold fabrication techniques such as a salt leaching method. Both natural hydrogel, gelatin, and synthetic hydrogel, poly(ethylene glycol) sebacic acid diacrylate, were used as porogens to fabricate 3D porous PCLF scaffolds. Hydrogel microparticles were prepared by a single emulsion technique with the particle size in the range of 100-500 microm after equilibrium in water. The pore size distribution, porosity, pore interconnectivity, and spatial pore heterogeneity of the 3D PCLF scaffolds were assessed using micro-computed tomography and imaging analysis. Scaffolds fabricated with the hydrogel porogens had higher porosity and pore interconnectivity as well as more homogeneous spatial pore distribution, compared to the scaffolds made from the salt leaching process. Compressive moduli of the scaffolds were also measured and showed that lower porosity yielded greater modulus of the scaffolds. Overall, the new fabrication technology using hydrogel porogens may be beneficial for certain tissue engineering applications.
authors.affiliation: Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Laboratory, Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine , Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
authors.forename: Jinku
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Yaszemski
authors.forename: Lichun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000187:drug effects; D005650:Fumarates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D016062:Porosity / Q000187:drug effects; D012212:Rheology / Q000187:drug effects; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005650:Fumarates; D011091:Polyesters; C506476:poly(caprolactone fumarate); C437167:poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols