Abstract
Ideal scaffolds for bone tissue engineering require 3D interconnected porous structures, enough mechanical strength for hand of treatment as well as proper bioactivity and biodegradability. Calcium silicate (CaSiO3, CS) scaffolds have been studied for bone tissue engineering application due to their excellent bioactivity. However, the main disadvantages of CS scaffolds are their low mechanical strength and high alkaline ionic products. In this study, sintered CS scaffolds were prepared and coated with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), and the effect of PLGA coating on the mechanical, biodegradable, bioactive properties and drug release of porous CS scaffolds were investigated. The results showed that the PLGA-coated CS scaffolds maintained large pore size and high porosity. The compressive strength of PLGA/CS scaffolds was significantly improved compared to pure CS scaffolds, and increased with the increase of intrinsic viscosity and concentration of PLGA. In addition, the PLGA coating neutralized alkaline level resulted from the ionic products of CS scaffolds and reduced the pH value of biological solution during the degradation of scaffolds. It was found that PLGA/CS scaffolds still maintained excellent apatite-mineralization ability in SBF. Furthermore, the PLGA coating effectively inhibited the burst release and maintained a sustained release of drugs from the CS scaffolds. Our results indicate that the PLGA/CS scaffolds have great potential for bone tissue engineering application by the virtue of improved mechanical strength, and excellent bioactivity, degradation as well as drug-delivery property.