Melt Extruded Bioresorbable Polymer Composites for Potential Regenerative Medicine Applications.

Biodegradable polymers—polyethylene oxide and poly (ϵ-caprolactone)—were melt extruded withβ-tricalcium phosphate. Breakdown analysis revealed that the percentage increase in bioceramic caused a prolonged degradation rate, with samples containing 20 wt%β-tricalcium phosphate losing significantly less weight over time in comparison to the control sample. Compression testing of samples following submission in aqueous environments revealed the composites exhibited enhanced strength with increasing bioceramic loading. The mechanical properties were significantly reduced over a period of 5 weeks. It was found that hot-melt extrusion ofβ-tricalcium phosphate is a viable and effective method of producing novel composite scaffolds with potential for regenerative medicine applications. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]