Fabrication and characterization of elastomeric scaffolds comprised of a citric acid-based polyester/hydroxyapatite microcomposite

In this paper we describe an effective technical route for the production of porous scaffolds from microcomposite material consistent of citric acid-based polyester elastomer and hydroxyapatite microparticles with potential use in tissue engineering applications. Fabricated scaffolds were characterized by field emission electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infra-red spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis and mechanical tests. We demonstrate that the chemical composition, scaffold morphology, mechanical integrity and porosity of the produced microcomposite scaffolds are strongly affected by variation of the initial hydroxyapatite concentration in the mineral-polymer mixture during the fabrication process. This polyester/mineral scaffold exhibits versatility in compression modulus and strength in the range of 21.72–33.25 KPa and 49.92–101.48 KPa respectively, corresponding to the hydroxyapatite concentration in the composite (10–30 wt.%).