A Novel Three-dimensional Composite Scaffold for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

An important frontier of biomaterials and regenerative medical research is the design of suitable scaffolds mimicking natural tissue extracellular matrix (ECM), which facilitate new tissue formation. In this study, a fiber-reinforced three-dimensional scaffold with uniform large pore sizes was fabricated by the combination of electrospinning and freeze-drying. Poly ( L-lactide-co-caprolactone) (P(LLA-CL)) fibers were prepared by electrospinning with a dynamic liquid collection system. The electrospun fibers were immersed in hyaluronic acid (HA)/collagen blended solution, which was lyophilized for 24 hours after froze at -80 degrees C for 12 hours. The scaffold was fully characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FIAT). The mechanical property was also investigated by stress-strain test. SEM images illustrated that the scaffold constructed with isotropic pores which maintain high interconnectivity. Furthermore, the electrospun fibers were observed well-distributing in the scaffold from the SEM images. In contrast to lyophilized HA/collagen scaffolds, the fiber-reinforced composite scaffolds showed superior mechanical properties, indicating that they are promising in cartilage regeneration.