Melt molding involves filling a mold with polymer powder and a porogen
component and then heating to above the glass-transition temperature of the
polymer while applying pressure to the mixture. During the fabrication process,
the raw materials will bind together to form a scaffold with designed specified
external shape. Once the mold is removed, the porogen is leached out and the
porous scaffold is then dried. Melt-molding with porogen-leaching is a nonsolvent
fabrication process that allows independent control of morphology and
shape. Drawbacks include the possibility of residual porogen and high
processing temperatures that preclude the ability to incorporate bioactive
molecules.