Evaluating mechanical and biological responses of bipolymeric drug-chitosan-hydroxyapatite scaffold for wounds: Fabrication, characterization, and finite element analysis

This study aims to explore the potential of a scaffold composed of drug-chitosan-hydroxyapatite (HA) in improving tissue treatment. The focus of the investigation lies in analyzing the physical and biological properties of the scaffold and evaluating its mechanical characteristics through finite-element analysis. To synthesize microcapsules containing dextran-diclofenac sodium, the electrospraying method was employed. The drug-chitosan-HA scaffold with varying volume fractions (VF) of the synthesized microcapsules (10, 15, and 20) was fabricated using the freeze-drying technique. Microscopic and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were utilized to evaluate the morphology, shape, and size of the microcapsules, as well as the porosity of the scaffolds for wound healing purposes. The mechanical properties of the synthesized microcapsules were determined via a nanoindentation test, while the mechanical behavior of the fabricated scaffolds was assessed through compression testing. Additionally, a multiscale finite-element model was developed to predict the mechanical properties of tissue scaffolds containing pharmaceutical microcapsules. The findings indicate that the incorporation of drug-chitosan-hydroxyapatite into the tissue significantly enhances both mechanical and biological responses. The mechanical evaluations demonstrate that the drug-chitosan-hydroxyapatite tissue exhibits excellent resistance to pressure, making it a suitable protective covering for skin wounds. Moreover, biological evaluations reveal that an increase in scaffold porosity leads to higher swelling behavior. The scaffold containing 20 % pharmaceutical microcapsules demonstrated the greatest swelling and desirable antibacterial properties, thereby indicating its potential as an effective wound dressing. Furthermore, a multiscale finite-element model was developed to predict the mechanical properties of tissue containing pharmaceutical microcapsules. The results indicated that the average size of the microcapsules was in the range of 170 to 180 µm, and the porosity of the prepared tissue was between 52 % and 61 %. The experimental compressive properties revealed that an increase in the volume fraction of the embedded microcapsules led to an increase in the maximum compressive stress and compressive modulus of the scaffolds by up to 54.95 % and 53.18 %, respectively, for the scaffold containing 20 % VF of pharmaceutical microcapsules compared to the specimen containing 10 % VF. In conclusion, the developed scaffold has the potential to serve as an effective wound dressing, with the ability to provide structural support, facilitate controlled drug release, and promote wound healing.