Hydroxyapatite porous scaffold engineered with biological polymer hybrid coating for antibiotic Vancomycin release

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds are crucial for bone regeneration but can lack mechanical integrity and controlled drug release.
• Improving scaffold properties is essential for effective wound healing and tissue repair applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance porous hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds using poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL)-HA hybrid coatings.
• To investigate the impact of these hybrid coatings on scaffold mechanical properties and in vitro drug release kinetics.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of porous HA scaffolds using a polyurethane foam reticulate method.
• Coating HA scaffolds with a PCL-HA hybrid solution containing Vancomycin.
• Characterization using FT-IR and SEM; assessment of mechanical properties and in vitro drug release.

Main Results:

• PCL-HA hybrid coating slightly altered pore structure, increasing stem thickness and reducing porosity.
• Coated HA scaffolds exhibited improved compressive mechanical properties and resistance to brittle failure.
• Encapsulated Vancomycin demonstrated sustained release from coated scaffolds, unlike rapid release from bare HA scaffolds.

Conclusions:

• PCL-HA hybrid coatings significantly enhance the performance of HA scaffolds for hard tissue regeneration.
• These modified scaffolds offer improved mechanical stability and controlled drug delivery for wound healing applications.
• The findings support the broader applicability of coated HA scaffolds as bioactive molecule delivery systems.