Functionalized Hydroxyapatite Loading Enhances the Mechanical and Biodegradation Properties of Wet‐Spun Poly(Lactide‐<i>co</i>‐Glycolide) Scaffolds by Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing of biodegradable composite materials is an effective strategy for the development of tailored scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. This research activity is aimed at the development of poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) scaffolds loaded with hydroxyapatite (HA) by means of a novel additive manufacturing approach. For this purpose, HA particles are functionalized through PLGA grafting (PgHA) to increase their compatibility with the polymeric matrix. PgHA-loaded PLGA scaffolds show higher tensile and compressive moduli than analogous PLGA scaffolds non-loaded with the ceramic phase, as well as a higher elongation at break than PLGA scaffolds loaded with non-functionalized HA. In addition, PgHA-loaded scaffolds maintain their structural stability in vitro for a longer time (9 weeks) than the other two kinds of scaffold. All the developed scaffolds support in vitro preosteoblast viability and differentiation toward the osteoblastic phenotype. The obtained results encourage therefore future research on the developed composite scaffolds for personalized bone tissue engineering approaches.