Tissue Ingrowth Markedly Reduces Mechanical Anisotropy and Stiffness in Fibre Direction of Highly Aligned Electrospun Polyurethane Scaffolds.

Based on the observations, it is proposed that the mechanism underlying the softening of the highly aligned scaffold in the predominant fibre direction is associated with scaffold compaction and local displacement of fibres by the newly formed tissue. The stiffening of the scaffold, observed transverse to highly aligned fibres and for more a random fibre distribution, represents the actual mechanical contribution of the tissue that developed in the scaffold.