A comparison between cell viability of chondrocytes on a biodegradable polyester urethane scaffold and alginate beads in different oxygen tension and pH

Cartilage is a tissue that has a low potential for self-repair. One of the methods forimprovement of regeneration and metabolism in cartilge, is to stimulate physicalfactors on chondrocytes as cartilage based cells. In this research, two physical factors, oxygen tension and pH, were changed to measure the cell viability of chondro-cytes on Degrapol®, as a biodegradable polyurethane (DBS), and alginate scaffolds and cell viability onto these substrates are compared. The results showed that, physical fac-tors like oxygen and pH could change cell viability. After 3 days cell culture for both types of scaffolds, the cell viability was higher with 5 % O2 and pH=7.4 and it was not depend-ent on the type of scaffolds. Our results showed that cell viability on alginate beads is more than DBS scaffold for different conditions. chondrocyte; physical environment; Biodegradation; polyester urethane (Degrapol®); alginate