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There are few suitable techniques available to sterilize biodegradable polyester three-dimensional tissue engineering scaffolds because they are susceptible to degradation and/or morphological degeneration by high temperature and pressure. We used a novel poly(lactide-co-glycolide) scaffold (Osteofoam™) to determine the optimal sterilization procedure — i.e. a sterile product with minimal degradation and deformation. Initial studies, found that an argon plasma created at 100W for 4min was optimal for sterilizing Osteofoam™ scaffolds without affecting their morphology. The RFGD plasma sterilization method was compared to two well-established techniques — ethylene oxide (ETO) and γ-irradiation (γ) - which were in turn compared to disinfection in 70% ethanol. Disinfection in 70% ethanol serves as a useful control because it affects neither the morphology nor the molecular weight of the polymer; yet, ethanol …