Porous gelatin scaffold mechanical behaviour under cyclic load as a function of water content

Porous gelatin scaffolds have been extensively used for tissue engineering applications. The scaffolds primary role is to act as a means of delivery for seeded cells into the target tissue [Liu, 2009]. It should therefore provide a seeded cellular enclave with adequate mechanical support and suitable conditions for cellular proliferation. Depending on the target tissue, an implanted scaffold would face different loading patterns. Cyclic compressive load prevails within certain tissues such as knee cartilage. Due to their elastic nature, gelatin constructs may be considered a suitable candidate for these in vivo applications. However, due to excessive interaction between water and gelatin, characterising their mechanical properties in respect to structure water content is important. Gelatin is highly water absorbent, with the water acting as a plasticiser for gelatin molecules [Patil, 2000]. Higher water content reduces gelatin structural strength but increases its elasticity. In this study porous gelatin scaffolds were subjected to cyclic compressive loading at different water contents. Methods: