Polycaprolactone/F18 Bioactive Glass Scaffolds Obtained via Fused Filament Fabrication

Abstract

The treatment duration for tissue defects, such as bone fractures, can be minimized by employing scaffolds. These structures can provide mechanical stability and stimulate cell adhesion and proliferation upon implantation. Fused filament fabrication allows the production of scaffolds from biodegradable polymers while enabling control over geometry and architecture for specific biomedical applications. Cellular activity can be enhanced by incorporating bioactive glasses into the polymer. In this investigation, 10% by weight of F18, a highly bioactive glass that can be obtained as continuous fibers, was incorporated into polycaprolactone via twin-screw extrusion molding. The bioactive fibers were mechanically characterized, and a polymer composite containing F18 was three-dimensional (3D) printed for the first time. Compounding resulted in a significant reduction in fiber length. The composites were assessed for thermal stability, mechanical properties, morphology, pore size, wettability, mineralization, and cell viability. Thermogravimetric analyses indicated that the bioactive glass lowers the decomposition temperature of polycaprolactone, a phenomenon commonly observed in polyesters. Although no improvements in mechanical properties were observed, incorporating F18 significantly enhanced cell viability after 7 days of in vitro testing, highlighting the potential of this composite for Bone Tissue Engineering.