Importance of Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) in Scaffolds for Guided Bone Regeneration: A Focused Review

Abstract

Total or partial tissue damage and loss of function in an organ are two of the most serious and costly issues in human health. Initially, these problems were approached through organ and allogenic tissue transplantation, but this option is limited by the scarce availability of donors. In this manner, new bone for restoring or replacing lost and damaged bone tissue is an important health and socioeconomic necessity. Tissue engineering has been used as a strategy during the 21st century for mitigating this need through the development of guided bone regeneration scaffold and composites. In this manner, compared with other traditional methods, bone tissue engineering offers a new and interesting approach to bone repair. The poly-α-hydroxy acids, which include the copolymers of lactic acid and glycolic acid, have been used commonly in the fabrication of these scaffolds. The objective of our article was to review the characteristics and functions of scaffold with biomedical applications, with special interest in scaffold construction using poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) polymers, in order to update the current methods used for fabrication and to improve the quality of these scaffolds, integrating this information into the context of advancements made in tissue engineering based on these structures. In the future, research into bone regeneration should be oriented toward a fruitful exchange between disciplines involved in tissue engineering, which is coming very close to filling the gaps in our ability to provide implants and restoration of functionality in bone tissue. Overcoming this challenge will provide benefits to a major portion of the population and facilitate substantial improvements to quality of life.