Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) multifunctional composite scaffolds for tissue engineering applications

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB)) foams exhibiting highly interconnected porosity (85% porosity) were prepared using a unique combination of solvent casting and particulate leaching techniques by employing commercially available sugar cubes as porogen. Bioactive glass (BG) particles of 45S5 Bioglass grade were introduced in the scaffold microstructure, both in micrometer ((m-BG), <5 microm) and nanometer ((n-BG), 30 nm) sizes. The in vitro...