Development and characterization of a novel porous small intestine submucosa-hydroxyapatite scaffold for bone regeneration

The fabricated small intestine submucosa (SIS) – hydroxyapatite (HAp) sponges can act as biomimetic scaffolds to be utilized in tissue engineering and regeneration. Here we developed SIS-HAp sponges and investigated their mechanical, physical and chemical characteristics using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, uniaxial compression, porosity, and swelling testing techniques. The results demonstrated mechanical properties superior to comparable bone substitutes fabricated with similar methods. SIS-HAp scaffolds possess an interconnected macroporosity, similar to that of trabecular bone, hence presenting a novel biomaterial that may serve as a superior bone substitute and tissue scaffold. - Highlights: • Small intestine submucosa (SIS) – hydroxyapatite (HAp) scaffolds were developed. • SIS-HAp scaffolds possess a trabecular bone-like structure. • FTIR indicated a molecular interaction between the organic groups of SIS and HAp. • SIS-HAp sponges presented a superior Young modulus to comparable bone substitutes.