Morphological and Mechanical Assessment of Electrospun PLGA Vascular Scaffolds

Cardiovascular disorders are the leading cause of global mortality and necessitate bypass surgery to replace the damaged blood vessels. Currently used grafts are insufficient to replace small-diameter blood vessels due to the scarcity and harsh harvesting procedures of autologous vessels and the shortcomings in the clinical performance of synthetic grafts. Therefore, there is a critical need for tissue-engineered vascular grafts that can meet morphological, mechanical, and biological characteristics. In this study, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) tubular scaffolds with randomly distributed or radially oriented fibers were produced by electrospinning, and the effect of fiber orientation on morphological, physical, and mechanical properties was investigated. Also, instrumental assessments were conducted to perform a comprehensive analysis of the polymeric material, encompassing evaluations of its toxicity and thermal properties. The findings demonstrate that, while successful implementation of radial fiber orientation with high rotational speed production enhanced burst strength and radial tensile strength values, it was unfavorable for compliance.