CharacteriZation of nanofibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering

Abstract

In view of the increasing use of polymeric scaffolds for tissue engineering, the objective of this project is to study the mechanical properties of poly(L-lactic acid) nanofibrous scaffolds used for nerve regeneration at the bulk and nano level. At the micro and nano levels, the nanofibers possess a a??shish-kebaba?? structure with strong intra and weak inter fibrillar bonds. The elastic modulus of a single nanofiber was found to be 1GPa from three-point bend test and nanoindentation using atomic force microscopy. This result was used to model the elastic modulus and elastic collapse stress of the bulk scaffold. The mechanical properties at the bulk and nano levels were found to satisfy the in vivo requirements for nerve regeneration except for the strength and ductility of the scaffold. PLLA with higher molecular weight could be used to overcome this deficiency and the resulting bulk mechanical properties could be re-evaluated in future studies.