Fabrication and properties of porous scaffold of magnesium phosphate/polycaprolactone biocomposite for bone tissue engineering

In this study, porous scaffolds made of magnesium phosphate (MP)/polycaprolactone (PCL) biocomposite were developed for bone tissue engineering applications. The composite scaffolds were fabricated by the particulate leaching method using sodium chloride particles as porogen. The obtained scaffold with porosity around 73% presents a porous structure with interconnected open pores. Hydrophilicity of the scaffolds was enhanced by the incorporation of MP component as demonstrated by the water contact angle measurement. The results of the in vitro degradation study show that the MP/PCL composite scaffolds degraded faster than PCL scaffolds in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). In addition, the degradation rate of the scaffolds could be tuned by adjusting the content of MP component in the composite. The results indicate that the MP/PCL composite scaffold has a potential application in bone tissue engineering.