Using different unit-cell geometries to generate bone tissue scaffolds by additive manufacturing technology.

Abstract

The design and manufacturing three-dimensional scaffolds are a significant concept in bone tissue engineering (BTE). Firstly, from the perspective of manufacturing, Additive manufacturing (AM) technology has achieved great attraction in the field of BTE during the past few years. In the field of BTE, the possibility of generating complex porous structures with high precision compared to typical manufacturing methods has made AM the leading option for scaffold production. Secondly, from the design perspective, design porous scaffold plays a decisive role in BTE since scaffold design with an appropriate architectures have to lead to proper strength and porosity. The purpose of this research is extraction of optimal architecture to achieve maximum mechanical strength of BTE scaffolds. Hence, the geometry structures of the unit-cell have been selected in Cube, Cylinder and Hexagonal prism. On the other hand, for considering the porosity effects, three different unit-cell size have been chosen, and a total of nine scaffolds have been designed. Designed scaffolds were fabricated using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D Printer and dimensional features of scaffolds were evaluated by comparing the designed scaffolds with scanning electron microscope (SEM). The specimens were exposed to mechanical compression test and the results were validated with the finite element analysis (FEA). Verified experimental and FEM results offered an excellent possible unit-cell geometry to be applied in design and manufacturing of BTE scaffolds.