Tensile properties of bioactive fibers for tissue engineering applications

Cell transplantation using biocompatible, biodegradable scaffolds offers the possibility of creating or regenerating tissue to replace organ function when deficiency arises. The role of these temporary substrates is to support and guide the expanding cell culture until it becomes structurally integrated with the host tissue. 45S5 Bioglass(R) is a 4-component, melt-derived bioactive glass, which has been approved for human clinical use by the Food and Drug Administration. The biocompatibility and biodegradability of 45S5 Bioglass(R) are long established, whereas research into its performance as an extracellular scaffold is currently underway. In this study the tensile strengths (93 +/- 8 and 82 +/- 14 MPa), elongation to fracture (0.7 +/- 0.05%) and Weibull's moduli (3.0 and 3.5) of 45S5 Bioglass(R) fibers (mean diameters 193 and 280 microm) for tissue engineering applications are reported. The tensile strengths of the fibers are compared with those of bulk 45S5 Bioglass(R) and a range of biodegradable polymer materials currently used in the field of tissue engineering. Aspects of glass and fiber technology relevant to the design and manufacture of extracellular ceramic scaffolds are also discussed.