Polylactic acid scaffold with directional porous structure for large-segment bone repair

Biodegradable porous scaffolds with different structure, porosity, and strength play a critical role in the repair and regeneration of defects in bone tissue engineering by changing the proliferation condition for cell. In this study, polylactic acid (PLA) scaffold with directional porous structure is designed and fabricated using the method of ice template and phase inversion for speeding up bone repair by promoting the growth and proliferation of bone cells. The morphology, mechanical properties, hydrophilicity, and wicking properties of PLA scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscope, universal testing machine, contact angle tester and wicking rate test, respectively. In vitro biocompatibility has been investigated through measuring cell adhesion, proliferation, and viability on PLA scaffold with directional porous structure. Prepared PLA scaffold was implanted into animals to observe the repair mechanism of large-sized bone defects. This study proposes a novel bioporous scaffold design to induce osteocyte growth at the rat calvaria with a directional pore structure, and the scaffold edges were integrated with the calvaria at week 12, effectively promoting the repair and regeneration of defective bone tissue.