Optimization of 3D printed osteochondral tissue geometries using finite element analysis

Abstract

Bone tissue engineering is an efficient method for treating deceased and/or affected bone, like trauma, accident, etc. The important characteristics of the scaffolds are biocompatible, biodegradable, bioactive, pore size, porosity and pore-interconnectivity. However, fabricating the scaffold, which will work as a structural template for cells to migrate and proliferate with the outstanding materials and designing parameters to mimic the natural bone is a challenging task. This study focuses on analyzing the scaffold’s architecture with different gradient and layer orientation by extrusion-based fabrication method. The prediction and optimization of scaffold architecture was studied using an FEA for additive manufacturing methods such as SLS and SLA in the literature, but scaffold fabricated by extrusion based additive manufacturing method has not been much studied. In the present work the extrusion-based 3D printing geometries with different gradient are analyzed using Abaqus to predict the effect of layer orientation and gradient on the young’s modulus and porosity of HA/β-TCP composite. The designed porosity ranges from 56.84 to 58.92% and Maximum Effective young’s modulus obtained is 26227.35 MPa and Maximum von mises stresses at 0.2% strain is about 41.08 MPa for 0°-90°-0°-90° orientation layer.