Production, by co-grinding in a media mill, of porous biodegradable polylactic acid-apatite composite materials for bone tissue engineering

摘要

This paper presents the results of a study of the production of porous biodegradable composite materials byudco-grinding, followed by scaffolding. Dry powders of polylactic acid and nanocrystalline carbonated apatite,udanalogous to bone mineral were co-ground in a tumbling ball mill in order to disperse the mineral fillerudwithin the polymer. Porous scaffolds were then made by hot moulding the mixture of the two componentsudalong with a pore-forming agent which was subsequently eliminated by washing. The mechanical resistanceudof the scaffolds was evaluated in order to determine the best operating conditions to produce implantsudoffering optimised properties for use as bone substitutes. It was shown that 30 wt.% of filler and 70 wt.% ofudpore-forming agent produce scaffolds which are sufficiently porous and resistant