Manufacture and characteristics of HA-Electrodeposited polylactic acid/polyvinyl alcohol biodegradable braided...

This study proposes the braided bone scaffolds. First, biologically degradable polylactic acid (PLA) filaments and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) filaments are plied into composite yarns using a doubling and twisting machine. The composite yarns are tested to determine the optimal mechanical properties and a stabilized morphology. The PLA/PVA composite yarns are then braided into bone scaffolds, during which the optimal braiding process parameters and yarn ratio are determined. Based on the surface observation and tensile strength, a gear ratio of 45:45 provides the tubular braids with an optimal morphology and porosity that meet the biological requirements. When the PLA/PVA ratio is 3:1, the braids exhibit the maximum tensile properties and the most stable space structure. Furthermore, to make the braids a bioactive material with surface active sites, the braids are coated with hydroxyapatite (HA) by electrodeposition. The resulting HA-electrodeposited bone scaffolds are tested by in vitro biological experiments using a scanning electronic microscope (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray analysis(EDAX), X-ray Diffraction(XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR), thereby examining their characteristics and microstructure. Results suggest that HA is electrodeposited over the bone scaffolds successfully. The immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) is proven to contribute a good in vitro bioactivity to bone scaffolds. As a result, bone scaffolds are a good candidate for the application in the cancellous bone repairing field.