Load-bearing PTMC-beta tri-calcium phosphate and dexamethasone biphasic composite microsphere scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Abstract In bone tissue engineering, beta-tricalcium phosphate acts as a building block for biomaterials to increases the mechanical properties of biomaterials. Building on our previous scaffold based on PTMC microspheres, we investigated the characteristics of microsphere scaffolds loaded with inorganic particles and the release profile of biphasic drug-loaded microsphere scaffolds. In this investigation, a three-dimensional PTMC/TCP-DEX microsphere scaffold with total porosity of about 50% and pore sizes ranging from 120 to 180 μm was prepared through employing solvent combined with a thermal technique. The addition of β-TCP reduces PTMC microsphere creep and also dramatically improves the mechanical properties of the scaffold (compressive modulus of 18 MPa). Moreover, the PTMC/TCP-DEX scaffold exhibited average porosity (approximately 100 μm) and high water absorption (60%), which are advantageous for release of drug and bioactive substance.