Tailoring elastic properties of PLGA/TiO2 biomaterials

This paper addresses the mechanical properties of titania reinforced poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), a composite material being considered for applications in bone tissue engineering. Titania nano-particles are added to the PLGA matrix for the improvement of mechanical properties. By changing the fraction of reinforcement, mechanical properties can be adjusted to match values of the surrounding tissue for mechanical compatibility. Numerical finite element and theoretical analyses were conducted to obtain simple design guidelines for tailoring the mechanical properties of these promising composites.