Salicylic acid (SA)-eluting bone regeneration scaffolds with interconnected porosity and local and sustained SA release.

In previous work, we observed that localized and sustained delivery of an anti-inflammatory drug, salicylic acid (SA), via a SA-based polymer (SAP) powder significantly enhanced diabetic bone regeneration through long-term mitigation of local inflammation. In this study, SAP was formulated into uniform microspheres and then sintered into a scaffold with an interconnected porous structure and modulus suitable for bone regeneration. The SAP scaffolds have ∼45% SA loading, which is the highest among drug-eluting bone regeneration scaffolds to-date. In addition, the scaffold provides localized, controlled and sustained SA release that has been proven to enhance diabetic bone regeneration. With the combination of physical (interconnected porosity) and chemical therapeutic features (high drug loading and sustained release), the novel SAP scaffolds offer unique therapeutic advantages and are promising diabetic bone regeneration candidates. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 311-318, 2017.