Abstract

This study presents a novel water bath dynamic cross-linking method which involves cross-linking process when the bone scaffold is being manufactured. Biomaterial possesses good biocompatibility, but possesses poor mechanical properties. Thus, the uncross-linked bone scaffold usually degrades rapidly, contracts easily and can’t meet the requirements of scaffold for tissue engineering. After being cross-linked by $Ca^{2+}$ ions, scaffold made of Gelatin and Sodium Alginate (SA), one kind of gel-type scaffolds, can present much better mechanical properties. However, $Ca^{2+}$ ions can react with SA solution and the gel can limit the flowing of $Ca^{2+}$ ions in the entire system, hence making cross-linking process uneven for the inner part. Applying the novel approach, the designed experiment verifies the scaffold can posses higher porosity, contain more water, has lower degradation rate and better mechanical properties.

Keywords:

Cross-linking, $Ca^{2+}$ ions, mechanical properties, water bath dynamic,

References

Competing interests

The authors have no competing interests.

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Copyright

The authors have no competing interests.