Fabrication and mechanical properties of PLLA and CPC composite scaffolds

The brittleness and insufficient strength of biomaterials such as calcium phosphate cement (CPC) limit their applications in physiologically non-load-bearing bone lesions. These limitations stimulated the research for developing degradable polymer-ceramic composite materials that can closely match the modulus of bones. In this study, poly (L-lactic acid)/calcium phosphate cement (PLLA/CPC) composite scaffolds were fabricated via a four-step process, namely, measurement, prototyping, compounding, and dissolving. The design and mechanical properties of the PLLA/CPC composite structures were theoretically and experimentally studied. The PLLA/CPC scaffold improved the mechanical properties of the CPC. The CPC’s compressive strength and strengthening percentage increase with higher PLLA volume. Such composites may have a clinical use for load-bearing bone fixation.