Morphological effects of porous poly-d,l-lactic acid/hydroxyapatite scaffolds produced by supercritical CO2 foaming on their mechanical performance.

A novel supercritical CO2 foaming technique was used to fabricate scaffolds of controllable morphology and mechanical properties, with the potential to tailor the scaffolds to specific tissue engineering applications. Biodegradable scaffolds are widely used as temporary supportive structures for bone regeneration. The scaffolds must provide a sufficient mechanical support while allowing cell attachment and growth as well as metabolic activities.