Scaffolds are porous three-dimensional supports, designed to mimic the extracellular environment and remain
temporarily integrated into the host tissue while stimulating, at the molecular level, specific cellular responses to
each type of body tissues. The major goal of the research work entertained herein was to study the microstructure
of scaffolds made from chitosan (Ch), blends of chitosan and sodium alginate (Ch/NaAlg), blends of chitosan,
sodium alginate and calcium chloride (Ch/NaAlg/CaCl2) and blends of chitosan, sodium alginate and
hydroxyapatite (Ch/NaAlg/HA). Scaffolds possessing ideal physicochemical properties facilitate cell proliferation
and greatly increase the rate of recovery of a damaged organ tissue. Using CT three-dimensional images of the
scaffolds, it was observed that all scaffolds had a porosity in the range 64%-92%, a radius of maximum pore
occurrence in the range 95m-260m and a permeability in the range 1×10-10-18×10-10 m2. From the results
obtained, the scaffolds based on Ch, Ch/NaAlg and Ch/NaAlg/CaCl2 would be most appropriate both for the
growth of osteoid and for bone tissue regeneration, while the scaffold made with a blend of Ch/NaAlg/HA, by
possessing larger pores size, might be used as a support for fibrovascular tissue.Project funding by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do
Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, São Paulo, Brazil)
(FAPESP Refs. No. 2012/21219-5, 2012/15651-4,
2013/03181-6, 2013/19300-4, and 2014/21122-0), is
hereby gratefully acknowledged. This work received
support from CNPq, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – Brazil, in the form of
Research Productivity (PQ) fellowships granted to Victor
M. Balcão and Marco V. Chaud
