Abstract
This paper outlines an in vitro evaluation of 3D printed scaffold of polylactic acid (PLA) blended with hydroxyapatite (HAp) and chitosan (CS) for orthopedic tissue engineering applications. In the first stage, selected composition/proportion of PLA–HAp–CS (based on melt flow-ability, mechanical and thermal properties) was 3D printed with fused deposition modeling (FDM) process. The 3D printed scaffolds were used for process capability analysis to ascertain the industrial usability of PLA–HAp–CS composite scaffold for batch production (especially in assembly applications). Further, in the second stage, an in vitro evaluation was performed to investigate the linkages of fibroblast cells for 3D printed scaffold. The results of study outline the rapid increase in growth of fibroblast cells for FDM-printed scaffolds of PLA–HAp–CS thus ensuring its capability of supporting cell adhesion and cell proliferation. Further, the dimensional variations and Shore D hardness of 3D printed scaffolds are under statistically control, with process capability indices (Cp and Cpk ≥ 1).
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