Rheological and morphological insights into Bio-glass 1393 and Car12N incorporation in PLLA and Chitosan scaffolds

This study investigates the effect of incorporating Bio-glass (BG) particles, specifically in the compositions named 1393 and Car12N, into polymeric scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. Two distinct fabrication approaches were systematically evaluated: thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) using poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA), and a chitosan-based hydrogel developed through pH-induced cross-linking. A Malvern particle size analyzer measured the particle size distribution of the BG before integration to guarantee uniformity and optimize the incorporation process. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) allowed the assessment of BG dispersion, the distribution of particles within the matrix across different scaffold fabrication methods, and changes in scaffold porosity, highlighting the interaction between the polymeric matrices and the incorporated BG. The results indicate that TIPS scaffolds using PLLA exhibited highly porous and interconnected structures suitable for cell growth. However, when the BG-containing polymer solution was utilized 24-48 hours post-synthesis, the resulting scaffold disintegrated, compromising its stability. In contrast, hydrogel-based integration with chitosan allowed for better BG incorporation and stronger polymer-particle interactions, making these scaffolds especially promising for applications in regenerative medicine Chitosan-based hydrogels emerged as versatile and reliable for applications requiring high BG content. These findings provide crucial insights into selecting integration methods based on specific tissue engineering requirements. Future research will focus on improving process parameters to further optimize the stability and functional performance of scaffolds, thereby better adapting them to application needs.