Fabrication of PLGA-collagen hybrid sponge

A hybrid sponge of biodegradable poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and collagen was fabricated by forming microsponges of collagen in the pores of PLGA sponge. Observation of the hybrid sponge by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that microsponges of collagen with interconnected pore structures were formed. The hybrid structure was further confirmed by detecting elemental nitrogen using scanning electron microscopy-electron probe microanalysis (SEM-EPMA). Elemental nitrogen was detected in the microsponges of collagen and on the pore surfaces of PLGA, but not in the cross-sections of PLGA regions. These results indicate: that microsponges of collagen were formed in the pores of the PLGA sponge and that the pore surfaces were also coated with collagen.