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“Self-fitting” Shape Memory Polymer Scaffolds to Treat Craniomaxillofacial (CMF) Bone Defects

The Right Fit, the Best Healing

Cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) defects (as well as other types bone defects) can result from traumatic injury, infection, tumor removal, surgical burr holes, or congenital bone disease. The current gold standard to treat CMF bone defects is with autografts, but these suffer from limited availability, complex harvesting procedures as well as donor site morbidity. A particular difficulty is shaping and fixing the rigid autograft tightly into the defect so as to prevent premature resorption. Regenerative engineering represents a promising alternative to heal CMF bone defects.

What we are doing:

We are developing “self-fitting” scaffolds based on shape memory polymers (SMPs) that conformally fit into defects following the mere exposure to warm saline.

Publications on this research

Comparative evaluation of mesenchymal stromal cell growth and osteogenic differentiation on a shape memory polymer scaffold

Stukel Shah, J.M.; Lundquist, B.; Macaitis, J.; Pfau-Cloud, M.R.; Beltran, F.O.; Grunlan, M.A.; Lien, W.; Wang, H.-C.; Burdette, A.J. “Comparative evaluation of mesenchymal stromal cell growth and osteogenic differentiation on a shape memory polymer scaffold,” J. Biomed. Maters. Res. Part B, 2022, 110, 2063-2074.

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PoreScript: Semi-automated pore size algorithm for scaffold characterization

Jenkins, D.; Salhadar, K.; Ashby, G.; Misha, A.; Cheshire, J.; Beltran, F.; Grunlan, M.A.; Andrieux, S.; Stubenrauch, C.; Cosgriff-Hernandez, E.+ “PoreScript: Semi-automated pore size algorithm for scaffold characterization,” Bioactive Mater., 2022, 13, 1-8.

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Suitability of EtO sterilization of polydopamine-coated, self-fitting bone scaffolds

Houk, C.J.; Beltran, F.O.; Grunlan, M.A.“Suitability of EtO sterilization of polydopamine-coated, self-fitting bone scaffolds,” Polym. Degrad. Stability, 2021, 194, 109763.

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Evaluation of self-fitting, shape memory polymer scaffolds in a rabbit calvarial defect model

Pfau, M.R.; Beltran, F.O.; Woodard, L.N.; Saunders, W.B.; Dobson, L.K.; Gasson, S.B.; Moreno, M.R.; Robbins, A.; Lawson, Z.T.; Grunlan, M.A. “Evaluation of self-fitting, shape memory polymer scaffolds in a rabbit calvarial defect model,” Acta Biomaterialia, 2021, 136, 233-242.

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Methodology for performing biomechanical push-out tests for evaluating the osseointegration of calvarial defect repair in small animal models

Lawson, Z.T.; Han, J.; Saunders, W.B.; Grunlan, M.A.; Moreno, M.R.; Robbins, A.B. “Methodology for performing biomechanical push-out tests for evaluating the osseointegration of calvarial defect repair in small animal models,” MethodsX, 2021, 8, 101541.

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Intrinsic osteoinductivity of PCL-DA/PLLA semi-IPN shape memory polymer scaffolds

Arabiyat, A.A.&; Pfau, M.R.; Grunlan, M.A.; Hahn, M.S. “Intrinsic osteoinductivity of PCL-DA/PLLA semi-IPN shape memory polymer scaffolds,” J. Biomed. Mater. Res. Part A, 2021, 21, 2334-2345.

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Smart scaffolds: Shape memory polymers (SMPs) in tissue engineering

Pfau, M.A.; Grunlan, M.A. “Smart scaffolds: Shape memory polymers (SMPs) in tissue engineering,” J. Mater. Chem. B, 2021, 9, 4287-4297.

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Shape memory polymer (SMP) bone scaffolds with improved self-fitting properties

Pfau, M.A.; McKinzey, K.G.; Roth, A.A.; Graul, L.M.; Maitland, D.J.; Grunlan, M.A. “Shape memory polymer (SMP) bone scaffolds with improved self-fitting properties,” J. Mater. Chem. B, 2021, 9, 3286-3837.

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Bioactive siloxane-containing shape memory polymer (SMP) scaffolds with tunable degradation rates

Beltran, F.O.; Houk, C.X.; Grunlan, M.A. “Bioactive siloxane-containing shape memory polymer (SMP) scaffolds with tunable degradation rates,” ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng. 2021, 7, 1631-1639.

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PCL-based shape memory polymer (SMP) semi-IPNs: The role of miscibility in tuning degradation rate

Pfau, M.R.; McKinzey, K.G.; Roth, A.A; Grunlan, M.A. “PCL-based shape memory polymer (SMP) semi-IPNs: The role of miscibility in tuning degradation rate,” Biomacromolecules, 2020, 6, 2493-2501.

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Hydrolytic degradation of PCL-PLLA semi-IPNs exhibiting rapid, tunable degradation

Woodard, L.N.; Grunlan, M.A. “Hydrolytic degradation of PCL-PLLA semi-IPNs exhibiting rapid, tunable degradation,” ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng., 2019, 5, 498-508.

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Hydrolytic degradation and erosion of polyester biomaterials

Woodard, L.N.; Grunlan, M.A.; “Hydrolytic degradation and erosion of polyester biomaterials,” ACS Macro Lett., 2018, 7, 976-982.

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Porous poly(caprolactone)-poly(L-lactic acid) semi-interpenetrating networks as superior, defect-specific scaffolds with potential for cranial bone defect repair

Woodard, L.N.; Kmetz, K.T.; Roth, A.A.; Page, V.M.; Grunlan, M.A. “Porous poly(caprolactone)-poly(L-lactic acid) semi-interpenetrating networks as superior, defect-specific scaffolds with potential for cranial bone defect repair,” Biomacromolecules, 2017, 18, 4075-4083.

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PCL-PLLA semi-IPN shape memory polymers (SMPs): Degradation and mechanical properties

Woodard, L.N.; Page, V.M.; Kmetz, K.T.; Grunlan, M.A.. “PCL-PLLA semi-IPN shape memory polymers (SMPs): Degradation and mechanical properties,” Macromol. Rapid Comm., 2016, 37, 1972-1977.

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valuation of the osteoinductive capacity of polydopamine-coated poly(ε-caprolactone) diacrylate shape memory foams

Erndt-Marino, J.D.; Munoz-Pinto, D.J.; Samavedi, S.; Jimenez-Vergara, A.C.; Woodard, L.; Zhang, D.; Grunlan, M.A..; Hahn, M.S. “Evaluation of the osteoinductive capacity of polydopamine-coated poly(ε-caprolactone) diacrylate shape memory foams,” ACS Biomat. Sci. Eng., 2015, 1, 1220-1230.

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Fabrication of a bioactive, PCL-based ‘self-fitting’ shape memory polymer scaffold

Nail, L.N.; Zhang, D.; Reinhardt, J.; Grunlan, M.A.. “Fabrication of a bioactive, PCL-based ‘self-fitting’ shape memory polymer scaffold,” J. of Visualized Experiments (JOVE), 2015, 104, e52981.

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A bioactive “self-fitting” shape memory polymer (SMP) scaffold with potential to treat cranio- maxillofacial (CMF) bone defects

Zhang, D.; George, O.J.; Petersen, K.M.; Jimenez-Vergara, A.C.; Hahn, M.S. Grunlan, M.A. “A bioactive “self-fitting” shape memory polymer (SMP) scaffold with potential to treat cranio- maxillofacial (CMF) bone defects,” Acta Biomaterialia, 2014, 10, 4597-4605.

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PDMS-PCL shape memory polymer (SMP) foams

Zhang, D.; Petersen, K.M.; Grunlan, M.A. “PDMS-PCL shape memory polymer (SMP) foams,” ACS Appl. Mater. & Interfaces. 2012, 5, 186-191.

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Porous inorganic-organic shape memory polymers

Zhang, D.; Burkes, W.L.; Schoener, C.A.; Grunlan, M.A. “Porous inorganic-organic shape memory polymers,” Polymer 2012, 53, 2935-2941.

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Polycaprolactone-based shape memory polymers with variable polydimethylsiloxane soft segments

Zhang, D.; Giese, M.L.; Prukop, S.L.; Grunlan, M.A. “Polycaprolactone-based shape memory polymers with variable polydimethylsiloxane soft segments,” J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem., 2010, 49, 754-761.

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Shape memory polymers with silicon-containing segments

Schoener, C.A.; Weyand, C.B.; Murthy, R.M.; Grunlan, M.A. “Shape memory polymers with silicon-containing segments,” J. Mater. Chem. 2010, 20, 1787-1793.

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