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Analysis of sintered polymer scaffolds using concomitant synchrotron computed tomography and in situ mechanical testing

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Abstract

The mechanical behaviour of polymer scaffolds plays a vital role in their successful use in bone tissue engineering. The present study utilised novel sintered polymer scaffolds prepared using temperature-sensitive poly(dl-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid)/poly(ethylene glycol) particles. The microstructure of these scaffolds was monitored under compressive strain by image-guided failure assessment (IGFA), which combined synchrotron radiation computed tomography (SR CT) and in situ micro-compression. Three-dimensional CT data sets of scaffolds subjected to a strain rate of 0.01%/s illustrated particle movement within the scaffolds with no deformation or cracking. When compressed using a higher strain rate of 0.02%/s particle movement was more pronounced and cracks between sintered particles were observed. The results from this study demonstrate that IGFA based on simultaneous SR CT imaging and micro-compression testing is a useful tool for assessing structural and mechanical scaffold properties, leading to further insight into structure–function relationships in scaffolds for bone tissue engineering applications.

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Acknowledgments

This study has benefited from research funding of the European Union’s access programme 20090893 at the SLS (Paul Scherrer Institut, Villigen, Switzerland) as well as from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme in the project Angioscaff NMP-LA-2008-214402. SR CT measurements were carried out at the TOMCAT beamline at the Swiss Light Source with assistance from Dr Julie Fife. The authors also acknowledge Dr Kathryn Stok for her help and advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK

    A. Dhillon, Y. Reinwald, L. J. White, F. R. A. J. Rose, K. M. Shakesheff & C. V. Rahman

  2. Institute for Biomechanics, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 10, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland

    P. Schneider, G. Kuhn, A. Levchuk & R. Müller

Authors
  1. A. Dhillon
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  2. P. Schneider
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  3. G. Kuhn
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  4. Y. Reinwald
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  5. L. J. White
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  6. A. Levchuk
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  7. F. R. A. J. Rose
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  8. R. Müller
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  9. K. M. Shakesheff
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  10. C. V. Rahman
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Correspondence to C. V. Rahman.

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Dhillon, A., Schneider, P., Kuhn, G. et al. Analysis of sintered polymer scaffolds using concomitant synchrotron computed tomography and in situ mechanical testing. J Mater Sci: Mater Med 22, 2599–2605 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-011-4443-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10856-011-4443-z

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