Polyurethane electrospun membranes with hydroxyapatite-vancomycin for potential application in bone tissue engineering and drug delivery

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the drug delivery behavior and other properties of electrospun composite membranes for potential use in tissue engineering. Tecoflex (R) (PU1), and a lab-made polyurethane (PU2) were studied. They were mixed with nano-hydroxyapatite (PU1-nHA and PU2-nHA) and vancomycin (PU1-VA and PU2-VA) or mixed with both, nHA and VA (PU1-nHA-VA and PU2-nHA-VA). Scanning electron microscopy showed a porous structure in all the electrospun membranes with smooth fibers in PU1 and its composites with sizes in the range of 0.6-0.9 mu m and nanoparticles of HA, both, adhered and embedded on the PU fibers were observed. nHA and VA affected the thermal and mechanical behavior of composites. Elastic modulus, cytotoxicity, and kinetic release were affected by the PU and nHA. Cell viability up to 75% showed that all membrane extracts are not cytotoxic while microbial inhibition activity was observed in PU1-VA, PU1-nHA-VA, and PU2-VA.