Micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) as a potential tool to assess the effect of dynamic coating routes on the formation of biomimetic apatite layers on 3D-plotted biodegradable polymeric scaffolds

摘要

This work studies the influence of dynamicbiomimetic coating procedures on the growth of bonelikeapatite layers at the surface of starch/polycaprolactone(SPCL) scaffolds produced by a 3D-plotting technology.These systems are newly proposed for bone Tissue Engineeringapplications. After generating stable apatite layersthrough a sodium silicate-based biomimetic methodology thescaffolds were immersed in Simulated Body Fluid solutions(SBF) under static, agitation and circulating flow perfusionconditions, for different time periods. Besides the typicalcharacterization techniques, Micro-Computed Tomographyanalysis (μ-CT) was used to assess scaffold porosity and as anew tool for mapping apatite content. 2D histomorphometricanalysis was performed and 3D virtual models were createdusing specific softwares for CT reconstruction. By the proposedbiomimetic routes apatite layers were produced coveringthe interior of the scaffolds, without compromising theiroverall morphology and interconnectivity. Dynamic conditionsallowed for the production of thicker apatite layers asconsequence of higher mineralizing rates, when comparingwith static conditions. μ-CT analysis clearly demonstratedthat flow perfusion was the most effective condition in orderto obtain well-defined apatite layers in the inner partsof the scaffolds. Together with SEM, this technique was a useful complementary tool for assessing the apatite contentin a non-destructive way.