A novel composite scaffold consisted of porous titanium and chitosan sponge for load-bearing applications: Fabrication, characterization and cellular activity

A novel composite scaffold consisting of porous Ti part filled with chitosan/HA sponge was fabricated using a combination of electron beam melting and freeze-drying. The mechanical properties of porous Ti with porosities of ~60-75% were examined via compressive test. The compression strength values of the samples were ranged from 86.35 (±12.68) - 180.21 (±10.26) MPa and stiffness values were of 2.23 (±0.68) - 5.48 (±0.54) GPa. The microstructure of composite scaffold was characterized using scanning electron microscopy. The chitosan/HA sponge filled in Ti part exhibited highly porous and well-interconnected pore architecture, which is produced to accommodate cells without the need to meet mechanical requirements. The invitro biocompatibility of the composite scaffolds was investigated using rat osteoblasts. Compared with pure Ti part, composite scaffolds exhibited higher biological activity, such as an improved osteoblast adhesion and morphology, increased proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. These results suggest that the composite scaffold is potentially useful as a biomedical scaffold for bone repair in load-bearing sites.