Fabrication and characterization of chitosan-poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) scaffold as a novel 3D-printed platform for bone tissue engineering application

Abstract

Chitosan (CS), a natural polymer, has been extensively studied in bone tissue engineering because of its biocompatibility, biodegradability, osteoconductivity, and inherent antibacterial property. However, the efficacy of scaffolds is strongly influenced by their material composition and fabrication strategies. In this study, CS-based scaffolds incorporated with 10 and 20 wt poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) were fabricated using a 3D printing approach. The physicochemical and biological properties of the resulting structures were systematically analyzed, and a 20 wt PHB formulation (CP20) was identified as the best candidate. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed well-interconnected pores, with mean diameters of 409.4 +/- 48 mu m for CS and 540.7 +/- 59 mu m for CS-PHB scaffolds, enabling favorable cell infiltration. Mechanical evaluation demonstrated that the compressive strength of CP20 improved to 19.63 MPa compared with that of pure CS. Thermal (DSC) and structural (XRD) analyses further confirmed the enhanced crystallinity of CP20, while crosslinking with TPP contributed to a controlled degradation profile. Biological evaluations, including cell adhesion and viability assays, verified that the CS-PHB scaffolds, particularly CP20, provided a supportive environment for bone tissue engineering applications.