Research Article Open Access Bioprocessing & Biotechniques Dulinska-Molak, J Bioproces Biotechniq 2014, 4:3 http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2155-9821.1000153 Volume 4 • Issue 3 • 1000153 J Bioproces Biotechniq ISSN:2155-9821 JBPBT, an open access journal *Corresponding author: Ida Dulinska-Molak, Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Wołoska 141, 02-507 Warsaw, Poland, Tel: 48-22-6623158; E-mail: ida.dulinska@gmail.com, idad@meil.pw.edu.pl Received February 26, 2014; Accepted April 11, 2014; Published April 17, 2014 Citation: Dulinska-Molak I, Jaroszewicz J, Kurzydlowski KJ (2014) Architecture and Properties of PUR/Calcite Composite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering. J Bioprocess Biotech 4: 153 doi: 10.4172/2155-9821.1000153 Copyright: © 2014 Dulinska-Molak I, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Architecture and Properties of PUR/Calcite Composite Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering Ida Dulinska-Molak*, Jakub Jaroszewicz and Krzysztof J Kurzydlowski Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Wołoska 141, 02-507 Warsaw, Poland Keywords: PUR/calcite composites; Scafolds; Bioactivity; Porosity; Microtomography Introduction In recent years polymer – bioactive ceramic composite materials have been developed as bone repair devices because of their high bioactivity, biocompatibility and biodegradability. Mainly the irst two properties of tissue engineering scafolds inluence the important initial steps related to cell attachment, prior to cell proliferation and diferentiation. An important step to engineer tissues is the development of porous three-dimensional scafolds for diferent anatomical locations in the body. Ideally, the scafolds should be porous and the porosity should be both macroscopic for cell growth and migration, as well as microscopic to allow the transport of nutrients and oxygen, as well as the removal of cellular waste products [1]. he relevant properties of ideal scafolds and the requirements for their successful application in bone tissue engineering have been extensively discussed in the literature [2-6]. hey state that scafolds need to be biocompatible. A three-dimensional (3D) internal geometry, similar to bone morphology, and the retention of mechanical properties ater implantation are required for scafolds in order to maintain a tissue space of prescribed size and shape for tissue formation. Porosity higher than 70% seems to be necessary. In addition, a macroporosity of 200– 500 µm is needed to promote bone cell attachment, and a microporosity should promote ion and liquid difusion [7]. Among the polymers selected for clinical and surgical applications, polyurethanes (PUR) represent a very important group [8]. Segmented polyurethanes have found application in medicine as biomaterials due to good biocompatibility and good processability [9]. heir domain structure allows one to obtain products with a wide range of physical and mechanical properties. Polyurethanes represent a class of synthetic elastomers, which physicochemical properties may be modiied by changing the ratio between sot and hard segments. herefore, the biodegradable poly (ε-caprolactone) urethane elastomers are commonly used for production of scafolds in bone tissue engineering [10-13]. However, the biodegradable polymers in pure form have inite application, connected mainly with their poor mechanical properties and insuicient adhesion of cells that is why their usefulness as implants is limited. he expansion of their application area is connected with preparation of new materials, polymer-ceramic composites, for tissue reconstruction, bringing together advantages of single components: elasticity and strength of polymers with excellent biocompatibility of ceramics, and developing from the type of tissue, they show desired proile of degradation, elasticity or hardness. Composite materials, depending on type of iller used and spatial distribution, introduce large possibilities of designing both mechanical properties and biological behavior of such implant, for example adhesion cells properties. Application of calcium carbonate as a modifying agent allows stimulating the growth of bone tissue [14-17]. hese materials, when in contact with the body luids from on their surface a layer of hydroxyapatite, through with the material used as the implant, forms a permanent bond with the bone in a living organism [18]. Moreover the engineered material composed of PUR and calcite supposes to support a process of creation of a new tissue not only by mechanical properties but as well by biological response. Based on our previous results [19], in the present study, was used the calcite powder as a iller. he morphogenesis of bone in porous bioceramics when implanted in heterotopic sites was first reported when implanting coral-derived hydroxyapatite specimens in the rectus abdominal muscle of adult non-human primates. A number of methods have been developed to fabricate polymer scafolds [1]. One of the most common techniques for producing Abstract Bone tissue has a composite nature given by a highly complex and well-harmonized structure of organic and inorganic components on the microscale, macroscale and nanoscale. Thus, biodegradable composite scaffolds made of poly (ε-caprolactone) urethane (PCL_PUR) porous matrix and calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) were developed and studied for bone tissue engineering. The aim of this work was to examine the structure of new polyurethane/calcite composites. Micro-computer tomography (µ-CT) and image analysis enabled 3D visualization and quantiication of the porosity, wall thickness and internal pore size distribution. The fabricated porous polyurethane composites exhibited porosity >70% with a pore size not exceeding 450 µm and wall thickness about of 50 µm in size. The mechanical properties of the foams were evaluated using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA). In-vitro bioactivity tests in simulated body luid (SBF) were carried out and the marker of bioactivity, e.g. formation of surface bone-like apatite layers upon immersion in SBF, was investigated. Our results indicated that PUR/calcite scaffolds were more activity then PUR scaffolds and possessed the function to enhance cell proliferation and differentiation, and might be used as bone tissue engineering materials.