Abstract
This study evaluated the mechanical properties and bone regeneration ability of 3D-printed pure hydroxyapatite (HA)/tricalcium phosphate (TCP) pure ceramic scaffolds with variable pore architectures. A digital light processing (DLP) 3D printer was used to construct block-type scaffolds containing only HA and TCP after the polymer binder was completely removed by heat treatment. The compressive strength and porosity of the blocks with various structures were measured; scaffolds with different pore sizes were implanted in rabbit calvarial models. The animals were observed for eight weeks, and six animals were euthanized in the fourth and eighth weeks. Then, the specimens were evaluated using radiological and histological analyses. Larger scaffold pore sizes resulted in enhanced bone formation after four weeks (p < 0.05). However, in the eighth week, a correlation between pore size and bone formation was not observed (p > 0.05). The findings showed that various pore architectures of HA/TCP scaffolds can be achieved using DLP 3D printing, which can be a valuable tool for optimizing bone-scaffold properties for specific clinical treatments. As the pore size only influenced bone regeneration in the initial stage, further studies are required for pore-size optimization to balance the initial bone regeneration and mechanical strength of the scaffold.
Highlights
The use of bone grafts on bony defects caused by tumors, trauma, or aging is an established and standardized procedure which has been clinically successful over a long period of time [1,2,3]
Analysis of the 3D-printed HA/tricalcium phosphate (TCP) scaffold blocks showed that the compressive strength of the sample with the 1.0-mm cubic pores (6.20 ± 0.8142 MPa) was higher than that of the diamond pores (2.80–3.60 MPa)
The sample type with cubic pores and no frame was used for the remaining studies because it had the highest compressive strength of those tested
Summary
The use of bone grafts on bony defects caused by tumors, trauma, or aging is an established and standardized procedure which has been clinically successful over a long period of time [1,2,3]. Most commercial graft materials are currently composed of powder, which can be used to fill bone defects without any bony gaps [10]. Powder-type bone-graft materials take a long time to graft and may detach from the wound site, making it difficult to graft areas where physical support is required [5,11]. The development of a new block-type bone-graft material is required to overcome the limitations of powder materials. Commercial graft blocks need to be in close contact with the defects and need to be trimmed to fit the wound shape, which is one disadvantage when screw removal is required [12]
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