Preparation and characterization of bioactive and biodegradable Wollastonite/poly(D,L-lactic acid) composite scaffolds

Composite scaffolds of poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA) with bioactive wollastonite were fabricated by the conventional solvent casting-particulate leaching method. The pore structures and morphology of the scaffolds were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The bioactivity of the composites was evaluated by soaking in a simulated body fluid (SBF), and the formation of the hydroxyapatite (HAp) layer was determined by SEM and energy-dispersive spectrometer. The results showed that the wollastonite/PDLLA composites were bioactive as it induced the formation of HAp on the surface of the composite scaffolds after soaking in SBF for seven days. In addition, pH and ion concentration changes of SBF solutions with composite scaffolds were examined. The results showed that the composites could release Ca and Si ions, which could neutralize the acidic degradation by-products of the PDLLA, and stabilize the pH of the SBF solutions between 6.7 and 7.2 within a three-week soaking period. Furthermore, the measurements of the water contact angles suggested that incorporation of wollastonite into PDLLA could improve the hydrophilicity of the composites and the enhancement was dependent on the wollastonite content. All these results suggest that incorporation of wollastonite into PDLLA might be a useful approach for the preparation of composite scaffolds for tissue repair and tissue-engineering applications. (C) 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers.