Polymeric bone scaffolds are a promising tissue engineering approach for the repair of critical-size bone defects. Porous three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds play an essential role as templates to guide new tissue formation. However, there are critical challenges arising from the poor mechanical properties and low bioactivity of bioresorbable polymers, such as poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) in bone tissue engineering applications. This research investigates the potential use of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as multi-functional additives that enhance the mechanical properties and increase the biomineralization rate of PCL. To this end, an in vitro biomineralization study of both CNCs and surface oxidized-CNCs (SO-CNCs) has been performed in simulated body fluid in order to evaluate the bioactivity of hydroxyl and carboxyl surface groups on CNCs and SO-CNCs, respectively. PCL nanocomposites were prepared with different SO-CNC contents and the chemical/physical properties of the nanocomposites were analyzed. Lastly, 3D porous scaffolds with fully interconnected pores and well-controlled pore sizes were fabricated from the PCL nanocomposites with a 3D printer.

Cellulose nanocrystal reinforced bioactive poly(e-caprolactone) nanocomposite for bone tissue engineering

248th National Meeting (2014)

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