Synthesis and Characterization of Polylactic Acid Tubular Scaffolds with Improved Mechanical Properties for Vascular Tissue Engineering.

In this study, a new electrospinning method for producing of cycloid fibers has been developed. The cycloid polylactic acid (PLA) fibers produced by this method were then collected (with a 4 mm inner diameter) by a rotational collector as tubular scaffolds for vascular tissue engineering. The morphology, degradation behavior, porosity and mechanical properties of the produced tubular scaffolds were investigated and compared with conventional tubular scaffolds manufactured with random fibers. The results from the tensile tests demonstrated that the mechanical strength and Youngs module of the prepared scaffolds by cycloid fibers were significantly higher than conventional tubular random fibers. This improvement in the mechanical properties of cycloid fibers justifies the widespread use of these scaffolds in tissue engineering in order to produce more strengthened vessels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]