Photopolymerization for filling porous ceramic matrix: Improvement of mechanical properties and drug delivering behavior

This work presents the photopolymerisation of composite scaffolds where a prefabricated ceramic scaffold was impregnated with poly(ethylene) glycol dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) macromonomer solution. The PEGDMA solution penetrates the porosity of ceramic scaffold where it cures in situ thereby enhancing their mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of the obtained composite approximate the mechanical properties of cancellous bone. The Young´s Modulus of the composite developed is 106 ± 5 MPa. PEGDMA is a polymer that shows excellent percentages of gel fraction (96%), which preserves when ceramic scaffold is introduced, and swelling (134%). Furthermore, thanks to their swelling properties, the composite is able to control the release vancomycin and dexamethasone. The efficacy of in situ delivery of vancomycin is demonstrated by the inhibition of bacteria colony proliferation. Dexamethasone released is recorded for up to 10 days using ultra violet‐visible spectroscopy. These excellent results make photopolymerization and PEGDMA strong candidates for the manufacture of different loaded bone void fillers. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:1654–1662, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers