Abstract
Critical-size bone defects are a common clinical problem. The golden standard to treat these defects is autologous bone grafting. Besides the limitations of availability and co-morbidity, autografts have to be manually adapted to fit in the defect, which might result in a sub-optimal fit and impaired healing. Scaffolds with precise dimensions can be created using 3-dimensional (3D) printing, enabling the production of patient-specific, ‘tailor-made’ bone substitutes with an exact fit. Calcium phosphate (CaP) is a popular material for bone tissue engineering due to its biocompatibility, osteoconductivity, and biodegradable properties. To enhance bone formation, a bioactive 3D-printed CaP scaffold can be created by combining the printed CaP scaffold with biological components such as growth factors and cytokines, e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). However, the 3D-printing of CaP with a biological component is challenging since production techniques often use high temperatures or aggressive chemicals, which hinders/inactivates the bioactivity of the incorporated biological components. Therefore, in our laboratory, we routinely perform extrusion-based 3D-printing with a biological binder at room temperature to create porous scaffolds for bone healing. In this method paper, we describe in detail a 3D-printing procedure for CaP paste with K-carrageenan as a biological binder.
Highlights
Critical size bone defects caused by trauma, bone cancer, congenital defects, and overloading are a common clinical problem for which the standard treatment is autologous bone grafts [1,2]
Current treatment options have significant limitations, i.e., autologous bone grafts are only available in limited volume, and a second surgery is needed for the harvesting procedure which is often associated with co-morbidity [3]
Calcium phosphate (CaP) in scaffolds is often used for bone regeneration since the crystals in CaP-containing scaffolds resemble the hydroxyapatite in natural bone, and the scaffolds are biocompatible
Summary
Critical size bone defects caused by trauma, bone cancer, congenital defects, and overloading are a common clinical problem for which the standard treatment is autologous bone grafts [1,2]. In extrusion-based printing, materials are extruded from a nozzle This technique is gaining more and more interest as it can be carried out at room temperature and allows for the incorporation of biological components and/or cells [7,8,9,10]. The prime method to add biological components to a scaffold is adhesion to the scaffold’s surface This method results in a burst release of the biomolecules in the first hours after incorporation into a defect site [17]. Extrusion-based printing is an option for achieving the incorporation of active growth factors, as this type of printing can operate at room temperature and use biological binders such as collagen and carrageenan. Mbioaltoegriicaall abninddMer eKth-coadrrsageenan under mild conditions in sufficient detail to serve as a basis for experiments by other laboratories
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