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ABSTRACT
Different types of implants are used in orthopedic applications. Due to the stress shielding and a second surgery caused by applying metal implants as orthopedic joints, using biodegradable bone implants with antibacterial properties is advantageous. Therefore, this study aims at fabricating a multifunctional poly (lactic acid) (PLA)-polycaprolactone (PCL)-based scaffold reinforced with hydroxyapatite (HA) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. Solvent casting combined with die-casting techniques was employed for fabricating the scaffolds, and their physical, mechanical, and biological properties were characterized. The morphology of the samples and the growth of hydroxyapatite crystals on the surface of the samples were examined by field emission scanning electron microscope. In dry conditions, adding nanoparticles to the scaffolds has significantly (p < .05) increased the tensile Young’s modulus from 450.00 ± 87.18 MPa to 1050.66 ± 104.05 MPa. Also, adding ZnO has improved the antibacterial properties of the scaffolds against S.aureus and E.coli bacteria strains. Moreover, the MTT assay results (after 72 h cell culture) show that the viability of L929 cells has increased from 22.18 ± 0.62% for the PLA-PCL scaffold to 70.03 ± 0.25% for the optimal nanostructure (p < .05). In conclusion, the PCL-PLA/HA/1% ZnO scaffold could potentially be used as absorbable spongy bone implants.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Abbreviations and symbols
| PLA | = | poly (lactic acid) |
| PCL | = | polycaprolactone |
| HA | = | hydroxyapatite |
| ZnO | = | Zinc oxide nanoparticles |
| MPa | = | Megapascal |
| FDA | = | Food and Drug Administration |
| 3D-printed | = | Three-dimensional printed |
| FESEM | = | field emission scanning electron microscope |
| MTT | = | (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) |
| SBF | = | Simulated body fluid |
| FTIR | = | Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer |
| EDS | = | energy dispersive spectroscopy |
| Ca | = | Calcium |
| P | = | phosphorus |
| Zn | = | zinc |
| XRD | = | X-ray diffraction |
| PHB | = | poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) |
| ASTM | = | American Society for Testing and Materials |
| EQ | = | equation |
| UTS | = | ultimate tensile strength |
| WT% | = | Weight percent |
| E. coli | = | Escherichia coli |
| S. aureus | = | Staphylococcus aureus |
| DMSO | = | Dimethyl sulfoxide |
| ANOVA | = | one-way variance statistical test |
| SPSS | = | Statistical package for social science |
| SD | = | Standard Deviation |
Credit authorship contribution statement
Farnaz Dehghani FiroozabadiResources, Investigation, Validation, Writing – original draft. Ahmad Ramazani Saadat AbadiConceptualization, Methodology, Project administration, Supervision, Writing – review and editing. Azadeh AsefnejadWriting – review and editing, Methodology.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Data availability statement
Data will be made available on request.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all those who helped us in conducting this research.
Correction Statement
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Farnaz Dehghani Firoozabadi
Farnaz Dehghani Firoozabadiis a PhD student in medical engineering at Islamic Azad University of Science and Research branch, Tehran, Iran. During her masters she worked on polymeric membrane and studied the effect of modified carbon nanotubes on these membranes. Also, the rate of cell growth and adhesion and the effect of heparin on the amount of blood compatibility of the membranes fabricated were investigated. She is interested in tissue engineering and making modified polymeric membranes.
Ahmad Ramazani Saadatabadi
Ahmad Ramazani Saadatabadi is professor of sharif university of technology and Amir Kabir university of technology, Tehran, Iran, and has been highly acclaimed for his contribution in polymer processing and fabrication for various applications like fabricated polymeric membranes with several ways, Investigating the rheological behavior of different materials, Fabrication of composite nanostructures and investigation of antibacterial and cellular behavior of polymer nanocomposites. He has also conducted many studies in the field of mathematical modeling, investigation of transfer phenomena in the reactor and investigation of biofuels. He is also a referee for several prestigious scientific journals.
Azadeh Asefnejad
Azadeh Asefnejad is professor of Islamic Azad university of science and research branch, Tehran, Iran. She has many studies in the field of composite nanostructures, tissue engineering, investigating the antibacterial behavior of different nanostructures, designing wound dressings and smart hydrogels