2013 Volume 7 Issue 2 Pages 293-302
A layered material consisting of porous poly(ε-caplolactone) (PCL) as the top layer and porous poly(L-lactide) (PLLA)/ hydroxyapatite (HAp) composite with cylindrical PLLA reinforcement as the bottom layer was newly developed for osteochondral tissue engineering application. Deformation behavior of the layered material was then examined by compression test, and the compressive moduli were compared with those of porcine articular tissues. It was found that the compressive stress-strain behavior was characterized by a two-step elastic behavior in which the first and the second elastic deformations were mainly controlled by the softer PCL layer and the harder composite layer, respectively. The first and the second moduli were found to be in the same order with the moduli of cartilage and subcondylar bone of porcine joint tissues, respectively.