Additive Manufacturing of Poly (ε-Caprolactone) for Tissue Engineering

The ability to design polymers with a controlled degradation profile and mechanical and processing properties has opened opportunities for developing novel polymer-based drug delivery devices, sutures, implants, etc. While numerous polymers are employed in biomedical applications, only a few, like poly (epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL), polylactides, etc., are non-toxic and resorbable. PCL, a biodegradable polyester having a low melting temperature and superior viscoelastic properties, represents an ideal candidate for 3D printing. Additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing has evolved as a cutting edge manufacturing technology that finds many applications in tissue engineering. Researchers have embraced 3D printing to fabricate PCL composites that find promise in soft and hard tissue engineering. AM allows great deal of freedom in manufacturing complex internal and external geometries with high precision. This review aims to identify the possibilities that the field of AM can contribute towards the development of sustainable, eco-friendly, bio-polymeric systems for biomedical applications with a special emphasis on PCL composites.