Advances in the Fabrication of Polycaprolactone-Based Composite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering: From Chemical Composition to Scaffold Architecture

Thermoplastic polymer-based materials, which feature essential biological properties and opportunities to implement the cutting-edge additive manufacturing technologies aimed at obtaining high-precision 3D models, have attracted intense interest for porous and bioresorbable bone tissue implants development. Among the wide range of materials, polycaprolactone was found to provide a balance between the biodegradation rate and biocompatibility with various tissues. Recent advances in the fabrication of polymer-polymer and polymer-inorganic composites have opened new ways to improve biological and mechanical outcomes and expanded the range of applications for bone and cartilage restoration, including the development of conductive composites for electrostimulation. While the chemical composition of the manufactured scaffolds played a vital role in their general biological performance and biocompatibility with bone tissue, the micropattern and roughness of the surface were shown to be additional stimuli for stem cell differentiation. More challenges came from the fabrication technique suitable for the proposed scaffold design. Here we summarize the key challenges and advances in fabrication and approaches to the optimization of certain chemical, morphological, or geometrical parameters of polycaprolactone-based scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.