Grafting of maleic anhydride on poly(lactic acid)/hydroxyapatite composites augments their ability to support osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells

Implantation of bone substitutes is the treatment of choice for bone defects exceeding a critical size, when self-healing becomes impossible. The use of 3D printing techniques allows the construction of scaffolds with customized properties. However, there is a lack of suitable materials for bone replacement. In this study, maleic anhydride-grafted poly (lactic acid) (MAPLA) was investigated as a potential compatibilizer agent for 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA)/hydroxyapatite (HA) composites, in order to enhance the physicochemical and biological properties of the scaffolds. The grafting process was performed by reactive processing in a torque rheometer, with the evaluation of the use of different concentrations of maleic anhydride (MA). The success of the grafting reaction was confirmed by titration of acid groups and spectroscopic analyses, indicating the presence of succinic anhydride groups on the PLA chain. Morphological analysis of the PLA/HA 3D scaffolds, using SEM, revealed that the use of the compatibilizer resulted in a structure free from voids and holes. The compatibilization also increased the degradation process. On the other hand, TGA and DSC analyses revealed that the use of a compatibilizer had little effect on the thermal properties of the composite. Most importantly, the samples with compatibilizer were demonstrated to have a minimal cytotoxic effect on human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), promoting the osteogenic differentiation of these cells in a medium without the addition of classical osteogenic factors. Therefore, the grafting of PLA/HA composites improved their physicochemical and biological properties, especially the induction of MSC osteogenic differentiation, demonstrating the potential of these scaffolds for bone tissue replacement.