Mesoporous bioactive glass-coated poly(l-lactic acid) scaffolds: A sustained antibiotic drug release system for bone repairing

A hierarchically porous composite with mesoporous bioactive glasses (MBG) coated on macroporous poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) scaffolds has been prepared through a dip-coating process of PLLA into MBG sol solution and used as an antibiotic drug carrier. Characterization of the structure and morphology of the composite scaffolds indicated a stable and homogenous MBG deposition throughout the porous framework of the scaffolds. In vitro studies in simulated body fluid (SBF) showed great improvements of the hydrophilicity, bioactivity, and biodegradability if compared with pure PLLA scaffolds. As a result, the MBG coating promoted attachment, spreading and proliferation of rabbit bone marrow stromal cells (rBMSCs). Gentamicin sulfate (GS) was loaded into the composite system and showed a two-stage sustained release profile, which demonstrated satisfactory antibacterial properties.