Osteogenesis of Cell-seeded Nano Ha-polylactic Acid Scaffolds – a Preliminary Report

Corresponding author: Yuehuei H. An, MD, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas St, Suite 708, Charleston, SC 29425. Tel: (843) 792-8169; Fax: (843) 792-3674; [email protected] Figure 1. Scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of PLLA and nano apatite-PLLA scaffold surfaces prepared using sugar sphere leaching method. (A) PLLA scaffold; (B) Nano apatite-PLLA scaffold. Magnification: 5000×. Abstract: Osteoblast-seeded porous pure PLLA and nano apatite-PLLA constructs fabricated using a polymer casting/sugar leaching method were implanted in nude mice to evaluate the osteogenic activities of the cell seeded scaffolds. The animals were sacrificed at 4, 6 and 8 weeks postoperatively. By only qualitative evaluation using radiography and histology, it is clear that both pure PLLA and nano apatite-PLLA scaffolds facilitate in vivo bone formation when seeded with bovine osteoblasts, which support the feasibility of using the PLLA scaffolds as a matrix for in vivo osteogenesis, holding promise for eventual clinical applications for bone defect repair.