, High Wycombe, England). Crosshead speed was 30 mm/min and gauge length was 20 mm. The half loop force was calculated as: Load ? loop = Maximum load/(2 x needle count) Load ? loop refers to the load in Cabozantinib prostate the half loop, i.e., in the 4-ply or 8-ply fiber used in the knitting. Compression properties of the cylindrical scaffolds were tested using a Lloyd LR 30K Materials Testing Machine (Lloyd Instruments Ltd., Fareham, England). Crosshead speed was 1 mm/min. Specimens were compressed between polished stainless steel, plated, and 5 N preload was applied to minimize the influence of the rough surfaces of the scaffolds, after which the new zero/starting point was set. The scaffolds were tested until 2 mm extension was reached (50�C67% thickness change).
Initial compression results were measured on dry specimens, and after in vitro hydrolysis, wet specimens were tested. After the sacrifice, samples were prepared by removing the external connective tissue formed outside the scaffold. The tissue grown into the porous scaffold and the scaffold itself were left untouched. Samples were placed in the saline and tested within 24 h from sacrifice. The above testing procedure was also used for the in vivo scaffolds. Conclusions The entirety of the production cycle, from raw material to an in vivo scaffold, was covered. From biodegradable PLA96 polymer fibers, different knit types were prepared. Since these constructions are interesting for further applications, the properties of those knitted samples were tested in vitro as well as in 3-y shelf life (storage time, aging) tests.
We confirmed that the mechanical integrity is valid even after 3-y restoration in a controlled atmosphere and at an ambient temperature for the g-irradiated samples when they were properly packed for storage. The polymer morphology slightly changed during the final 6 mo of this storage period, although it had no influence on the mechanical properties. We showed that the degradation characteristics are similar when comparing the knits and the scaffolds. Furthermore, we showed that the weakened mechanical properties resulting from the immersion/implantation of the scaffolds prepared from these knits are enhanced by the ingrown tissue, which actually renders mechanical strength to the scaffold in vivo, thus making the structure a truly tissue-engineered composite.
These indications are important when commercializing the structures and planning the use of such scaffolds. Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank Ms. Terhi Kulmala, Ms. Anna Sj?lund, Ms. Eira Lehtinen and Mr. Fatih Cengiz for their help in testing and analyzing the data. Researcher funds from the Graduate School of the Processing of Polymers and Polymer-Based Multimaterials, financed by Finland��s Brefeldin_A Ministry of Education, is greatly appreciated. Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.