Poly (L-lactic acid) porous scaffold-supported alginate hydrogel with improved mechanical properties and biocompatibility

PurposePolymer porous scaffolds and hydrogels have been separately employed and explored for a wide range of applications including cell encapsulation, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.MethodsIn this study, a three-dimensional poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) scaffold with interconnected and homogeneously distributed pores was fabricated to support the alginate hydrogel (Alg). The gels were filled into the porous scaffold, which acted as an analogue of native extracellular matrix (ECM) for entrapment of cells within a support of predefined shape. The mechanical strength of the composite scaffold was characterized by compression testing. The chondrocyte behavior in the scaffold was determined by inverted microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and MTT viability assay. The repair efficiency of such a composite scaffold was further investigated in dog spinal defects by histological evaluation after implantation for 4 weeks.ResultsResults showed that the composite scaffold possessed superior mechanical...