Abstract
Critical bone defects are a major clinical challenge in reconstructive bone surgery. Polycaprolactone (PCL) mixed with bioceramics, such as hydroxyapatite (HA) and tricalcium phosphate (TCP), create composite scaffolds with improved biological recognition and bioactivity. Electrical stimulation (ES) aims to compensate the compromised endogenous electrical signals and to stimulate cell proliferation and differentiation. We investigated the effects of composite scaffolds (PCL with HA; and PCL with β-TCP) and the use of ES on critical bone defects in Wistar rats using eight experimental groups: untreated, ES, PCL, PCL/ES, HA, HA/ES, TCP, and TCP/ES. The investigation was based on histomorphometry, immunohistochemistry, and gene expression analysis. The vascular area was greater in the HA/ES group on days 30 and 60. Tissue mineralization was greater in the HA, HA/ES, and TCP groups at day 30, and TCP/ES at day 60. Bmp-2 gene expression was higher in the HA, TCP, and TCP/ES groups at day 30, and in the TCP/ES and PCL/ES groups at day 60. Runx-2, Osterix, and Osteopontin gene expression were also higher in the TCP/ES group at day 60. These results suggest that scaffolds printed with PCL and TCP, when paired with electrical therapy application, improve bone regeneration.
Highlights
mineralized tissue (MT) was more evident in the groups that received the scaffolds, especially in the HA and HA/Electrical stimulation (ES) groups at day 30, and the tricalcium phosphate (TCP) and TCP/ES groups after 60 and 120 d
As the bone defect is considered critical, the regeneration process, followed by the mineralization of the osteoid/connective tissue, was not observed in the untreated and Es groups where scaffolds were not used for bone grafting
This paper presented an in vivo study of 3D printed polymer-ceramic composite scaffolds
Summary
Bone tissue has a high capacity for repair after trauma or injury. This potential becomes compromised in large bone defects, requiring an effective approach that allows bone growth. Autologous bone grafting remains the gold standard in bone repair; it is associated with several clinical setbacks, such as limited availability of healthy bone, high costs, mandatory secondary surgery, morbidity at the bone harvesting site, and long-term pain problems [1,2,3]. A rapidly arising method in this field uses additive manufacturing to regenerate extensive bone defects by developing three-dimensional porous support structures (bone scaffolds) that contribute to new tissue formation based on their osteoconductive capacity [4,5]
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