Electrospinning Production of PLLA Fibrous Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering

Nonwoven fibrous mats were produced in the process of solution electrospinning. Polymeric fibres generated in this process consist of poly(L-lactic) acid (PLLA), biodegradable and biocompatible polymer. Produced fibrous mats were examined by scanning electron microscopy and additionally degradation rate of fibrous material was investigated. Obtained fibres exhibit porous surface and fibre diameter varied from 200 nm to 1,2 ım, depending on the process parameters. Low degradation rate of scaffold material was designed for long-term scaffold usage. The influence of solvent type and solution concentration as well as the solution flow rate, applied voltage and the setup geometry on the fibres morphology and diameter were examined and presented. The influence of polymer concentration on the solution viscosity was also evaluated. Further, the degradation rate of obtained fibres was investigated, as well as the influence of degradation process on surrounding environment. Materials produced in electrospinning process have potential application as long-term biodegradable scaffold for tissue engineering, especially in bone tissue, vascular tissue or cartilage tissue engineering.