Bioresorbable glass effect on the physico-chemical properties of bilayered scaffolds for osteochondral regeneration

Abstract

[EN] In this work, bilayered and bioresorbable composite scaffolds are developed with mechanical and functional properties for osteochondral tissue engineering. Porous scaffolds made of gelatin (G) and bioresorbable phosphate glass (I-CEL2) with different compositions (I-CEL2/G 0/100; 30/70; 70/30 %w/w) were fabricated by freeze-drying. Samples were crosslinked using gamma-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane to improve mechanical strength and thermal stability. I-CEL2/G samples showed interconnected pores having an average diameter ranging from 139 +/- 5 mu m for I-CEL2/G 0/100 to 116 +/- 9 mu m for I-CEL2/G 70/30. GPTMS-crosslinking and the increase of I-CEL2 amount stabilized the composites to water solution, as shown by swelling tests. The compressive modulus increased by increasing I-CEL2 amount up to 7.6 +/- 0.5 MPa for I-CEL2/G 70/30.