Suitability of EtO Sterilization for Polydopamine-coated, Self-fitting Bone Scaffolds.

Irregularly shaped craniomaxillofacial (CMF) defects may be advantageously treated by "self-fitting" shape memory polymer (SMP) scaffolds, namely those prepared from poly(ε-caprolactone)diacrylate (PCL-DA) networks and PCL-DA/poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) (75:25 wt%) semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPNs). In addition to achieving good scaffold-tissue contact, a polydopamine (PD) coating can be leveraged to enhance bioactivity for improved osseointegration. Sterilization with ethylene oxide (EtO) represents a logical choice due to its low operating temperature and humidity.

Bioactive Siloxane-Containing Shape-Memory Polymer (SMP) Scaffolds with Tunable Degradation Rates.

A material-guided, regenerative approach to heal cranial defects requires a scaffold that cannot only achieve conformal fit into irregular geometries but also has bioactivity and suitable resorption rates. We have previously reported "self-fitting" shape-memory polymer (SMP) scaffolds based on poly(ε-caprolactone) diacrylate (PCL-DA) that shape recover to fill irregular defect geometries. However, PCL-DA scaffolds lack innate bioactivity and degrade very slowly.