Work

Mechanical and Cellular Evaluations of ACP-Enriched Biodegradable Micromolded PLA/PCL Bone Screws

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Nanoscale amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) exhibits superior bioactivity, degradability, and osteoblast adhesion compared to hydroxyapatite (HAp), making it a promising bioactive ceramic material for bone regeneration applications. This study explores the integration of ACP as a bioactive additive in polylactic acid/polycaprolactone (PLA/PCL) composites. Nanoscale ACP powder was synthesized through low-temperature wet chemical methods without additional reagents. The composite, consisting of 10 wt.% ACP, 80 wt.% PLA, and 20 wt.% PCL, achieved optimal tensile strength (>12 MPa) and elongation (>0.1%). Utilizing the Taguchi experimental design, the microinjection molding parameters were optimized, and they are a material temperature of 190 °C, an injection speed of 50 mm/s, and a holding pressure speed of 30 mm/s. Variance analysis identified the injection speed to be the most significant factor, contributing 50.73% to the overall effect. Immersing ACP in simulated body fluid (SBF) for six hours reduced its calcium ion concentration by 28%, with this concentration stabilizing thereafter. Biocompatibility was confirmed through an MTT assay with NIH-3T3 cells, demonstrating the PLA/PCL/ACP composite’s compatibility. Bone differentiation and mineralization tests showed the enhanced performance of both ACP and the composite material. Degradation tests indicated an initial 0.29% weight increase in the first week, followed by a 2% reduction by the fifth week. These results underscore the PLA/PCL/ACP composite’s excellent mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and suitability for injection molding, positioning it as a strong candidate for biodegradable bone screw applications.

Source: Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing

DOI: 10.3390/jmmp9050154

Authors: Min-Wen Wang, Wei-Young Wang, Chun-Ming Chen, Chun-Chieh Tseng

Institutions: National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Metal Industries Research & Development Centre

Language: English

Topic: Bone Tissue Engineering Materials

Subfield: Biomedical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,172