Morphological Evolution and Intermetallic Behavior of Developed Scaffolds with Hydroxyapatite and Polylactic Acid for Bone Tissue Applications

Patients with fractures require internal fixations, since treatment options are limited to metallic implants and autologous bone grafts.These limitations include chances of infection transference, quantity restrictions and the need for additional surgery.Bone tissue engineering seeks to address these limitations through the development of biocompatible bone scaffolds.This study fabricated a PLA based scaffold that sought to address some of the challenges associated with currently available treatment options.The methodology involved acquiring raw eggshells, which were rinsed with water and calcined with concentrated H3PO4.Hitherto, HAp powder was extracted from eggshells, and its presence was confirmed using color test.PLA (60,000 molecular weight) was procured from Sigma Aldrich, which was used with HAp powder, to form the composite, employing sol gel technique.SEM morphology established PLA, which has polymeric binding properties, as the 3D scaffold with the highest Ct (PLA/HAp (45/55 wt.%).It had a more consistent crystal and pore formation and weaker grain boundaries.FTIR analysis showed PLA characterizing peaks, and that functional groups present in 3D scaffold are not toxic to the body.X-RD spectra confirmed PLA and HAp presence in 3D scaffolds.However, peaks intensities decreased with lower Ct of HAp, and those of PLA increased in the 3D scaffold.This indicates that PLA and HAp particles have semi-crystalline and crystalline structures, respectively.Thus, 3D scaffolds can be tailored for many biomedical applications.