Gelatin coated 45S5 Bioglass®-derived scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Highly porous 45S5 Bioglass® scaffolds were fabricated by the foam replica method and successfully coated with a well attached gelatin layer by dipping and pipetting methods. Depending on macropore size of the scaffold and gelatin concentration, mechanically enhanced scaffolds with improved compressive strength in comparison to uncoated scaffolds could be obtained while preserving the high and interconnected porosity that is required for bone in-growth. Moreover, the scaffold's bioactivity by immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) was investigated showing that gelatin coating preserves the intrinsic bioactivity of the Bioglass® scaffold. It was also shown that the gelatin layer can be loaded with tetracycline hydrochloride for developing scaffolds with drug delivery capability. © (2013) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.