Manufacturing and Characterization of Highly Porous Bioactive Glass Composite Scaffolds Using Unidirectional Freeze Casting

摘要: The aim of this work is the fabrication bioactive and degradable scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Freeze casting used to obtain macropores. Alongside, highly 45S5 Bioglass, gelatin chitosan are as biocompatible binder stabilizing agent, respectively. By varying cooling rate between 2 4 K min−1 whether slurry allowed form a gelled network at 7 °C before freeze or not, samples with porosity 75% achieved. X-ray tomography analysis shows smallest pore sizes 73 77 µm rather lamellar structure parallel freezing direction non-gelled samples, whereas have pores 96 120 µm show cellular structure. Compression tests reveal compressive strengths from (non-gelled) 3 MPa (gelled), while quasielastic moduli (44–46 MPa) clearly exceed values (20–23 MPa). Thus, it concluded that modified caused by gelling process markedly improves mechanical properties samples. After seven days in SBF under physiological conditions, calcium phosphate rich layer detected on surface, revealing bioactivity scaffolds.