Fabrication and characterization of nano composite scaffold of poly(L-lactic acid)/hydroxyapatite

To mimic the nano-fibrous structure of the natural extracellular matrix, a nano composite scaffold of poly(L-lactic acid)/hydroxyapatite(PLLA/HAP) was fabricated by a thermally induced phase separation method. The characterization of the composite scaffold showed that the scaffold had a nano-fibrous PLLA network (fiber size 100-750 nm), an interconnective microporous structure (1-10 microm) and high porosity (>90%). HAP was homogeneously distributed in the scaffold, as a result, the compressive modulus of PLLA/HAP (80:20, w/w) increased to 3.15-fold compared with that of a pure PLLA scaffold. Incorporating HAP into PLLA network also buffered the pH decline in vitro degradation and enhanced the protein adsorption of the composite scaffold significantly. The new nano composite scaffold is potentially a very promising scaffold for tissue engineering.