Mechanical, permeability, and degradation properties of 3D designed poly(1,8 octanediol-co-citrate) scaffolds for soft tissue engineering.

Poly(1,8-octanediol-co-citric acid) (POC) is a synthetic biodegradable elastomer that can be processed into three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds for tissue engineering. We investigated the effect of designed porosity on the mechanical properties, permeability, and degradation profiles of the POC scaffolds. For mechanical properties, scaffold compressive data were fitted to a one-dimensional (1D) nonlinear elastic model, and solid tensile data were fitted to a Neohookean incompressible nonlinear elastic model. Chondrocytes were seeded on scaffolds to assess the biocompatibility of POC. Increased porosity was associated with increased degradation rate, increased permeability, and decreased mechanical stiffness, which also became less nonlinear. Scaffold characterization in this article will provide design guidance for POC scaffolds to meet the mechanical and biological parameters needed for engineering soft tissues such as cartilage.