Fabrication of pliable biodegradable polymer foams to engineer soft tissues

We have fabricated pliable, porous, biodegradable scaffolds with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) blends using a solvent-casting and particulate-leaching technique. Our study investigated the effects of four different processing parameters on pliability and pore morphology of the biodegradable scaffolds. The parameters investigated were the PLGA copolymer ratio, the PLGA/PEG blend ratio, the initial salt weight fraction, and the salt particle size. A wide range of shear moduli (0.59 to 9.55 MPa), porosities (0.798 to 0.942), and median pore diameters (71 to 154 microns) was able to be achieved by varying the combination of these parameters. Our study indicates that initial salt weight fraction and PLGA/PEG blend ratio have the most significant effects on the physico-mechanical properties of the scaffolds. Enhanced pliability of the three dimensional foams made with blends of PLGA and PEG is evidenced by the ability to roll them into a tube without macroscopic damage to the scaffold. Pliable polymer substrates hold great promise for regeneration of soft tissues such as skin, or those requiring a tubular conformation such as intestine or vascular grafts.