Development of silk/polycaprolactone biocomposite for internal bone plate application

In this work, the stacking of different layers of silk fabric reinforced polycaprolactone biocomposites were prepared by compression moulding technique. The mechanical and biodegradation behaviour were investigated. The mechanical properties of the different layers of silk/polycaprolactone composite were observed. The 14 layers of silk/polycaprolactone composites showed higher mechanical properties when compared to other composites. This was due to its sufficient mechanical interlocking between the fabric and the matrix. Further, scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed the good interfacial bonding between silk and polycaprolactone. The in-vitro degradation study revealed that silk/polycaprolactone composite uptakes more water due to hydrophilic nature of silk while polycaprolactone showed higher amount of weight loss. Though there was a decrease in trend in the tensile properties of composite, still they can be used as a biodegradable plate due to its adequate mechanical strength. The changes in pH of the composite were also noticed and found negligible. Thus, the biodegradable silk/polycaprolactone composites are a promising alternative implant for patients, as they provide temporary mechanical support and controlled rate of biodegradation for the bone plate application.