Bone
tissue engineering emerges as an advantageous technique to
achieve tissue regeneration. Its scaffolds must present excellent
biomechanical properties, where bare polymers poorly perform. Development
of new biomaterials with high osteogenic capacity is urgently pursued.
In this study, an electrospun poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate)/graphene oxide (P34HB/GO) nanofibrous scaffold
is successfully fabricated and characterized. The effects of GO amount
on scaffold morphology, biomechanical properties, and cellular behaviors
are investigated. GO reduces the fiber diameter and enhances porosity,
hydrophilicity, mechanical properties, cellular performance, and osteogenic
differentiation of scaffolds. P34HB/GO triumphs over P34HB in in vivo
bone regeneration in critical-sized calvarial defect of rats. We believe
that this study is the first to evaluate the capability of in vivo
bone repair of electrospun P34HB/GO scaffold. With facile fabrication
process, favorable porous structures, enhanced biomechanical properties,
and fast osteogenic capability, P34HB/GO scaffold holds practical
potentials for bone tissue engineering application.