Effect of bioactive glass on the properties of glass/polymer composite scaffold fabricated by solvent casting/particulate leaching technique

This study fabricated Bioglass® reinforced polyurethane (PU) scaffolds by solvent casting/particulate leaching technique to investigate the effect of Bioglass® percentage on the properties of the PU scaffolds. Bioglass® percentage was varied for 0 wt %, 10 wt %, 20 wt %, 30 wt %, 40 wt % and 50 wt % in the PU matrix. The composite scaffolds were characterized using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) to observe the morphology and compositions of the scaffolds, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to analyze functional group interactions. Their properties were thoroughly assessed through porosity testing, compression testing and in-vitro bioactivity evaluation. Results demonstrated that increased Bioglass® percentage improved the compressive strength of the PU-BG scaffolds from 0.5 MPa to 1.5 MPa. The in-vitro test revealed that the addition of Bioglass® induced and accelerated the bioactivity of PU-BG scaffolds. When 50% of Bioglass® was added, an apatite layer was formed on the composite scaffolds after 14 days of incubation. The optimal Bioglass® content for improving both mechanical properties and bioactivity of PU scaffolds was found to be 50 wt %. These findings suggest that PU-BG composite scaffolds have potential applications in bone tissue engineering and may provide insights into designing bioactive scaffold materials for enhanced osteointegration.