Development macro-porous electro-spun meshes with clinically relevant mechanical properties - A technical note.

The nano-fibrous architecture of electro-spun meshes favours their use in biomedicine, but their low mechanical properties prohibit their wide use in clinical practice. Introduction of porosity, essential of tissue integration, decreases further mechanical integrity. Herein, we hypothesised that macro-porous electro-spun meshes with adequate mechanical properties can be fabricated through layering and subsequent compression. Two and three layers electro-spun poly-epsilon-caprolactone scaffolds were fabricated, compressed and subsequently 30% circular porosity was introduced through laser cutting. Three-layered porous electro-spun meshes exhibited mechanical properties similar to commercially available scaffolds without any structural or cytotoxic effect. This study brings electro-spun materials closer to clinical translation and commercialisation.