Preparation of spherical macroporous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) for bone tissue regeneration

Spherical macroporous poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) has been synthesised using an emulsion method. Polyvinyl alcohol and Pluronic F127 have been used as dispersing and porogen agent, respectively. The diameter of the spherical PLGA is about 20 μm and the pore size of the PLGA macroporous is about 2-2.5 μm observed by scanning electron microscopy. After immersing in simulated body fluid, the PLGA materials can induce the formation of hydroxyapatite (HAP) on their surface. The HAP-PLGA has been obtained and used as the host for drug release. Furthermore, the drug-loaded samples possess the various drug release performance by adjusting the thickness of the HAP layer. This highly satisfied composite material is expected to be promising in the applications in tissue regeneration engineering.