Macrochanneled poly (epsilon-caprolactone)/ hydroxyapatite scaffold by combination of bi-axial machining and lamination.

A combination of bi-axial machining and lamination was used to fabricate macrochanneled poly (epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL)/hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffolds. Thermoplastic PCL/HA sheets with a thickness of 1 mm, consisting of a 40 wt% PCL polymer and 60 wt% HA particles, were bi-axially machined. The thermoplastic PCL/HA exhibited an excellent surface finish with negligible tearing of the PCL polymer and pull-out of the HA particles. The bi-axially machined sheets were laminated with a solvent to give permanent bonding between the lamina. This novel process produced three-directionally connected macrochannels in the dense PCL/HA body. The macrochanneled PCL/HA scaffold exhibited excellent ductility and reasonably high strength. In addition, good cellular responses were observed due to the osteoconductive HA particles.