Internal flow field analysis of a dendritic pore scaffold for bone tissue engineering

Abstract

The effective reconstruction of osteochondral biomimetic structures is a key factor in guiding the regeneration of full-thickness osteochondral defects. Due to the avascular nature of hyaline cartilage, the greatest challenge in constructing this scaffold lies in both utilizing the biomimetic structure to promote vascular differentiation for nutrient delivery to hyaline cartilage, thereby enhancing the efficiency of osteochondral reconstruction, and effectively blocking vascular ingrowth into the cartilage layer to prevent cartilage mineralization. However, the intrinsic relationship between the planning of the microporous pipe network and the flow resistance in the biomimetic structure, and the mechanism of promoting cell adhesion to achieve vascular differentiation and inhibiting cell adhesion to block the growth of blood vessels are still unclear. Inspired by the structure of tree trunks, this study designed a biomimetic tree-like tubular network structure for osteochondral scaffolds based on Murray’s law. Utilizing computational fluid dynamics, the study investigated the influence of the branching angle of micro-pores on the flow velocity, pressure distribution, and scaffold permeability within the scaffold. The results indicate that when the differentiation angle exceeds 50 degrees, the highest flow velocity occurs at the confluence of tributaries at the ninth fractal position, forming a barrier layer. This structure effectively guides vascular growth, enhances nutrient transport capacity, increases flow velocity to promote cell adhesion, and inhibits cell infiltration into the cartilage layer.