State of art review on bioabsorbable polymeric scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Abstract

Bone fractures are increasing day by day through numerous reasons. Tissue engineering is promising solution for bone tissue loss that current strategies cannot treat well or achieve satisfactory clinical outcomes. The scaffolds with required shape, size, physical, chemical and natural features for upgraded performance and for regenerating complex bone fracture is always in demand. Three-dimensional (3D) printing can create customized scaffolds that are profoundly alluring for bone tissue engineering. Over the previous decade, it is currently conceivable to create novel bone tissue scaffolds with designing structure with modified shape, large scale production, wettability, mechanical strength and cell reactions. The challenges of the scaffolds include sufficient mechanical strength and matching the mechanical properties of the scaffolds near to the bone properties. The stress shielding phenomenon also rises due to mismatch in elastic modulus. The elastic modulus of the cortical bone of human lies in the range of 2 to 16 GPa. The Elastic modulus of the steel used for biomedical application lies in the range of ∼ 200 GPa, which leads to encourage stress shielding. Bioabsorbable polymeric have unique properties such as matched mechanical strength with the natural bone, controlled rate of degradation, maintain porosity to make passage for interconnected neo bone regeneration. In case of adding bioactive nano filler materials, it was observed that the increase in the concentration of Hydroxyapatite, agglomeration observed. In order to avoid this, many technologies such as freeze drying, 3D printing, and other additive methods has been recommended. This article gives a review of ongoing advances in the scaffold fabrication techniques, functional scaffolds by adding useful nanomaterial and targeted application for particularly bone tissue regeneration.