Bioglass and zinc incorporated PCL based composite as biodegradable implants for bone fixation

Polycaprolactone (PCL) is widely used for bone fixation due to its excellent biodegradability and biocompatibility. To match the regeneration rate of human cortical and cancellous bone, researchers have incorporated bioglass (BG) into the PCL matrix. These composites have shown a controllable degradation rate and increased bioactivity. In this study, PCL composites with different weight % of Zn and 45S5 bioglass have been prepared. The synthesized composites were studied for degradation behavior in PBS and acidic solutions. The mechanical properties, including density, hardness, and flexural strength of each composite were studied and compared to those of pure PCL.In vitrostudies using the mouse osteoblast cell line (MC3T3-E1) showed that all the composites were cytocompatible. Results showed that the mechanical properties, degradation rate and cytocompatibility of all the PCL-based composites were better than those of pure PCL. PCL composite with 10% Zn and 30% bioglass showed superior mechanical properties, degradation rate, and cytocompatibility amongst all other composites.