Bioactive Glass Particles Research Articles

Rapid wet chemical synthesis of bioactive glass with high yield by probe sonication.

Bioactive glasses (BGs) are inorganic biomaterials which possess favourable properties for bone repair and regeneration. The biological properties of the BGs depend on their physical features. This manuscript describes a simple methodology for rapid synthesis of BG nanoparticles (NPs) with tailored physical properties using ultrasonic disruption produced by an ultrasonic probe. The ultrasonic probe generates stable and transient cavitation which increases the mass transfer and accelerates the chemical reaction. This approach is relatively green as it evades the use of the drastic acidic conditions required for hydrolysis. The prepared BG NPs were characterized by Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size analysis (PSA), nitrogen adsorption/desorption and BET surface area analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and in situ high temperature synchrotron XRD. The effects of ultrasonic irradiation time, and amplitude on the surface properties were investigated and the results confirmed that both parameters, especially amplitude, have significant effects on the physical properties of the prepared BG NPs. The XPS results showed that both, amplitude and time have a pronounced effect on the bridging and non-bridging oxygen atoms bonded to the Si centre in the BG samples, which play an important role in the bioactivity of the BG NPs. The in situ high temperature XRD patterns indicated a gradual phase transformation for the BG samples synthesized at different ultrasonic irradiation times and amplitudes. The TEM images showed that uniform nano-sized BG particles were obtained at 50% amplitude in only 10 minutes. A bimodal particle size distribution was observed with an increasing reaction time, up to 30 minutes, due to an increase in the formation of vortices at the interface where nucleation starts. All the prepared samples exhibited a glassy structure with the composition 70SiO2 : 25CaO : 5P2O5 and were highly bioactive. The proposed method would give a quick route for the synthesis of bioactive glasses and other ceramics with controlled physical properties.

Gelatin and Bioactive Glass Composites for Tissue Engineering: A Review.

Nano-/micron-sized bioactive glass (BG) particles are attractive candidates for both soft and hard tissue engineering. They can chemically bond to the host tissues, enhance new tissue formation, activate cell proliferation, stimulate the genetic expression of proteins, and trigger unique anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer functionalities. Recently, composites based on biopolymers and BG particles have been developed with various state-of-the-art techniques for tissue engineering. Gelatin, a semi-synthetic biopolymer, has attracted the attention of researchers because it is derived from the most abundant protein in the body, viz., collagen. It is a polymer that can be dissolved in water and processed to acquire different configurations, such as hydrogels, fibers, films, and scaffolds. Searching "bioactive glass gelatin" in the tile on Scopus renders 80 highly relevant articles published in the last ~10 years, which signifies the importance of such composites. First, this review addresses the basic concepts of soft and hard tissue engineering, including the healing mechanisms and limitations ahead. Then, current knowledge on gelatin/BG composites including composition, processing and properties is summarized and discussed both for soft and hard tissue applications. This review explores physical, chemical and mechanical features and ion-release effects of such composites concerning osteogenic and angiogenic responses in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, recent developments of BG/gelatin composites using 3D/4D printing for tissue engineering are presented. Finally, the perspectives and current challenges in developing desirable composites for the regeneration of different tissues are outlined.

Dissolution of bioactive glass S53P4 in a three-reactor cascade in continuous flow conditions

This study expands the knowledge of bioactive glass S53P4 dissolution by implementing a cascade reactor to a continuous dissolution setup. Three reactors were coupled in a series to study the effects of released ions on S53P4 reactions in each reactor. The pH and ion concentrations were measured in Tris-buffer and simulated body fluid flowing through the cascade reactor for five days. The reaction layer formed on the particles in each reactor were also analysed. In Tris, the dissolved Si decreased from 100% to 40% and 26% in the consecutive reactors after five days. In SBF, Si decreased from 64% to 11% and 8%. Thus, the ions released and decrease of available hydrogen ions for ion exchange influenced the dissolution behaviour of S53P4. The results partly explain the differences in the reaction degree between individual bioactive glass particles used as a bone graft in the same defect site.

Melaleuca armillaris Essential Oil as an Antibacterial Agent: The Use of Mesoporous Bioactive Glass Nanoparticles as Drug Carrier.

Bioactive glasses have been proposed for bone tissue engineering due to their excellent biocompatibility and osteo-inductive behaviour. The generation of mesoporous bioactive glass (nano) particles adds a high surface area for the dissolution and release of bioactive ions, and the possibility to load them with different drugs for antibacterial purposes. Essential oils (EO) are an interesting resource for alternative medical therapy, providing antimicrobial compounds that come from organic/natural resources like aromatic plants. Also, a biological polymer, such as chitosan, could be used to control the release of active agents from mesoporous bioactive glass (MBG) loaded particles. This work presents MBG particles with nominal composition (in mol) 60% SiO2, 30% CaO and 10% P2O5, loaded with essential oil of Melaleuca armillaris, which contains 1,8-cineol as the main active component, with an inhibitory in vitro activity against several bacterial species. Also, co-loading with a broad-spectrum antibiotic, namely gentamicin, was investigated. The MBG particles were found to be of around 300nm in diameter and to exhibit highly porous open structure. The release of EO from the particles reached 72% of the initial content after the first 24 h, and 80% at 48 h of immersion in phosphate buffered solution. Also, the MBG particles with EO and EO-gentamicin loading presented in vitro apatite formation after 7 days of immersion in simulated body fluid. The antibacterial tests indicated that the main effect, after 24 h of contact with the bacteria, was reached either for the MBG EO or MBG EO-gentamicin particles against E. coli, while the effect against S. aureus was less marked. The results indicate that MBG particles are highly bioactive with the tested composition and loaded with EO of Melaleuca armillaris. The EO, also combined with gentamicin, acts as an antibacterial agent but with different efficacy depending on the bacteria type.

In vitro bioactivity and biocompatibility of magnesium implants coated with poly(methyl methacrylate) - bioactive glass composite

Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys have proved promising as biodegradable candidates for the repair of bone tissue. Despite the encouraging bio-related properties of Mg, its high corrosion rate in contact with body fluids still presents a major challenge. An efficient approach to address this issue is to provide a protective coating on Mg. The present research evaluates, for the first time, in vitro bioactivity and biocompatibility of a novel multifunctional composite coating based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) biopolymer and bioactive glass (BG) particles on Mg-based implant. Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) was utilized to obtain this coating from a bi-component suspension. Coatings’ morphological analyses by scanning electron microscopy established that EPD provides a facile route for simultaneous deposition of the biopolymeric matrix and BG in the form of a dense and homogeneous coating on the surface of Mg. Chemical characterizations of the coatings performed by energy-dispersive spectroscopy and FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of both PMMA and BG components in the composite film. In vitro acellular bioactivity test in simulated body fluid (SBF) verified bone-like apatite formation on coatings due to the presence of BG particles. Additionally, in vitro cellular cytotoxicity using MTT assay demonstrated cellular viability in contact with the composite coatings. Moreover, the corrosion behavior of the pure Mg vs coated Mg samples in SBF was assessed electrochemically using linear polarization and impedance spectroscopy techniques. A significant increase in the polarization resistance from 65.89 Ω.cm 2 for uncoated Mg to 1365.1 Ω.cm 2 for Mg coated with a composite film (obtained from 45 g/L PMMA and 3.5 g/L BG suspension) was observed. This indicated a reduction of 95.17% in the corrosion rate of Mg substrate by application of a composite coating. The dramatic reduction in Mg substrate corrosion rate accompanied by in vitro bioactivity and cytocompatibility of the developed composite, reflect the high potential of the present strategy in the modification of Mg-based implants for successful bone tissue engineering applications. • Novel bioactive and corrosion-resistant composite coating on Mg biomedical implant • PMMA facilitates bioactive glass deposition via a facile electrophoretic method • Composite coatings were bioactive due to apatite formation in simulated body fluid • 95.17% reduction in corrosion rate in composite-coated Mg vs bare Mg • Coatings supported the growth of MG63 cells and were non-cytotoxic

Surface Modification of 3D-Printed PCL/BG Composite Scaffolds via Mussel-Inspired Polydopamine and Effective Antibacterial Coatings for Biomedical Applications.

A wide variety of composite scaffolds with unique geometry, porosity and pore size can be fabricated with versatile 3D printing techniques. In this work, we fabricated 3D-printed composite scaffolds of polycaprolactone (PCL) incorporating bioactive glass (BG) particles (13-93 and 13-93B3 compositions) by using fused deposition modeling (FDM). The scaffolds were modified with a "mussel-inspired surface coating" to regulate biological properties. The chemical and surface properties of scaffolds were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), contact angle and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Polydopamine (PDA) surface-modified composite scaffolds exhibited attractive properties. Firstly, after the surface modification, the adhesion of a composite coating based on gelatin incorporated with strontium-doped mesoporous bioactive glass (Sr-MBGNs/gelatin) was significantly improved. In addition, cell attachment and differentiation were promoted, and the antibacterial properties of the scaffolds were increased. Moreover, the bioactivity of these scaffolds was also significantly influenced: a hydroxyapatite layer formed on the scaffold surface after 3 days of immersion in SBF. Our results suggest that the promoting effect of PDA coating on PCL-BG scaffolds leads to improved scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

Bioresorbable polylactic acid (PLA) and bioactive glasses (BG) composite: Influence of gold coated of BG powder on mechanical properties and chemical reactivity

Due to the ageing of the population, the synthesis of biomaterials and the optimization of their physico-chemical characteristics are at the heart of many research projects in regenerative medicine. The emergence of 3D printing techniques has rapidly led to the manufacture PLA-BG composite scaffolds using the FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) technique. However, this composite presents some problems including a lower mechanical strength than the two compounds alone, probably due to the ionic salting-out induced by the BG. This study aims to counter this phenomenon by coating the BG particles with a thin layer of gold. The 3D composite objects will then be characterized mechanically and biologically to ensure that the bioactive character of the composite is preserved.

Quasi-static loading of glass fiber-reinforced composite cervical fusion cage

ObjectivesAnterior decompression and fusion in cervical spine has become one of the most common procedures in neurosurgery. In the surgery, cervical cage implants made of different biomaterials are used. Our purpose was to create a cervical cage made of glass fiber-reinforced composite (FRC) filled with bioactive glass particles and to characterize its behavior in quasi-static compression/shear stress loading conditions. Materials and methodsFRC cages (n = 6) were manufactured with 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 layers of glass fiber laminates and thermoset dimethacrylate resin matrix resulting in wall thickness from 0.70 to 2.1 mm. Control cage was a commercial PEEK cage (CeSpaceXP) implant with asymmetrical wall thickness of up 4.0 mm. Interior of the cage was filled with glass particles of the size 500–1250 μm simulating the bioactive glass which are used in FRC cranial implants. The FRC cages were quasi-statically loaded (compressive/shear stress) at a constant speed of 1 mm/min in the air. ResultsThe average yield strength force (YF) of the control PEEK cage was 3483.6 N (±134.3 N). The average YFs for tested FRC cage with 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 layers of FRC fabric varied from 1336.5 N (±403.8 N) to 7675.0 N (±670.0 N), respectively. The average ultimate forces (UF) for tested FRC cages varied from 1535.8 N (±406.2 N) to 9975.0 N (±1492.4 N). With six layers of FRC fabric, YF of the FRC cage was comparable to the PEEK implants. ConclusionsIn this study, it was demonstrated that it is possible to manufacture a cervical interbody fusion device made of FRC and filled with bioactive glass with proper load bearing capacities. Because of physical properties of FRC-bioactive glass, the FRC cage might have some advances compared to the state-of-the-art cages, like faster bony union and smaller rate of subsidence, which will be studied in the future.

Preparation and characterization of a self-crosslinking sodium alginate-bioactive glass sponge.

In this research, bioactive glass particles prepared by the reactive flash nanoprecipitation method (RFNP-BG particles) are used to crosslink sodium alginate to prepare biological sponges (SA-BG sponges) by freeze-drying. An experiment for the cross-linking mechanism confirms that the continuous release of Ca2+ from RFNP-BG is promoted by the crosslinking reaction and in turn leads to the gelation process of SA. Bioactive glass particles not only provide Ca2+ for the crosslinking of sodium alginate, but also enhance the mechanical properties of the SA-BG sponges. The results show that the elastic modulus of the SA-BG sponges increases from 0.026 MPa to 0.641 MPa, and the resistance to external force deformation is greatly improved; the thermal decomposition temperature increases from 105°C to 166°C; compared with a pure SA sponge, the water resistance is significantly improved. In vitro cell experiments show that the SA-BG sponges have a certain adverse effect on cell proliferation, but it is in an acceptable range. qPCR results show that the SA-BG sponges have a certain beneficial effect on promoting osteogenic gene expression. The SA-BG sponges have great application potential in the fields of medicine, hemostasis, and wound closure.

Developing Atom Probe Tomography to Characterize Sr-Loaded Bioactive Glass for Bone Scaffolding

AbstractIn this study, atom probe tomography (APT) was used to investigate strontium-containing bioactive glass particles (BG-Sr10) and strontium-releasing bioactive glass-based scaffolds (pSrBG), both of which are attractive biomaterials with applications in critical bone damage repair. We outline the challenges and corresponding countermeasures of this nonconductive biomaterial for APT sample preparation and experiments, such as avoiding direct contact between focussed ion beam micromanipulators and the extracted cantilever to reduce damage during liftout. Using a low imaging voltage (≤3 kV) and current (≤500 pA) in the scanning electron microscope and a low acceleration voltage (≤2 kV) and current (≤200 pA) in the focussed ion beam prevents tip bending in the final stages of annular milling. To optimize the atom probe experiment, we considered five factors: total detected hits, multiple hits, the background level, the charge-state ratio, and the accuracy of the measured compositions, to explore the optimal laser pulse for BG-Sr10 bioactive glass. We show that a stage temperature of 30 K, 200–250 pJ laser pulse energy, 0.3% detection rate, and 200 kHz pulse rate are optimized experimental parameters for bioactive glass. The use of improved experimental preparation methods and optimized parameters resulted in a 90% successful yield of pSrBG samples by APT.

The effect of bioactive glass particle size and liquid phase on the physical-chemical and mechanical properties of carbonated apatite cement

This study reports for the first time the effect of particle size of bioactive glass 46S6 on the physico-chemical and mechanical properties of carbonated apatite cement (CPC) composed of brushite (CaHPO4. H2O) and vaterite (CaCO3). Three particle size ranges were investigated: coarse (BGc: 100–200 μm), medium (BGm: 40–100 μm), and fine (BGf<40 μm). For the composite formulations, three liquid phases were used: distilled water as a simple setting solution, sodium alginate hydrogel as a cohesion and injectability enhancer, and sodium alginate solubilized in a setting accelerator (Na2HPO4) solution (Alg-NaP) to control the setting time.The changes in the bioglass particle size and the liquid phase lead to clear modifications in the setting, rheological, and mechanical properties of the prepared cements.The optimization of the different parameters reveals that the formulation with BGc and Alg-NaP as a liquid phase provides the best properties: good injectability of 95%, excellent cohesion, a setting time of 10 min that meets the range required by clinicians, and mechanical strength of 10.5 MPa comparable to that of cancellous bone.

Evaluation of In Vitro Bioactivity, Cytotoxicity, and Drug Release Behavior of Er2O3 and Tb2O3-Containing Bioactive Glass Particles and Nanofibers

Evaluation of In Vitro Bioactivity, Cytotoxicity, and Drug Release Behavior of Er2O3 and Tb2O3-Containing Bioactive Glass Particles and Nanofibers

Nanoparticle-modified coatings by electrophoretic deposition for corrosion protection of magnesium

ABSTRACT Magnesium (Mg) and its biocompatible alloys are used as biodegradable materials for temporary implant applications. However, the fast electrochemical reactions in the physiological environment can lead to premature implant failure and damage the surrounding tissues. Here, we report on nanoparticle-modified biopolymer composite coatings processed using alternating current electrophoretic deposition (AC-EPD) to control the corrosion process of Mg–Al alloys. Chitosan–gelatin coatings incorporating bioactive glass particles as reinforcement were supplemented with ZnO and CeO2 nanoparticles and the corrosion resistance was evaluated. CeO2 nanoparticle-modified coatings obtained using AC signals superimposed with a direct current field appeared compact and homogeneous. ZnO nanoparticle-modified coatings had a low surface coverage with significant defects. As a result, CeO2-supplemented coatings processed for as little as 4 min effectively reduced the corrosion current density (i corr) of Mg–Al in Ringer’s solution, whereas ZnO-supplemented coatings did not. CeO2 nanoparticle-modified biopolymer coatings hold potential for fine-tuning the degradation of Mg implants.

Bio‐Inspired Synthesis of Hollow Mesoporous Bioactive Glass Nanoparticles Using Calcium Carbonate as Solid Template

AbstractWe report a surfactant free route to synthesize hollow mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles at ambient atmospheric condition. The synthesized particles contain hollow core as a result of mild acid mediated removal of calcium carbonate nanoparticles used as hard template. Removal of template was confirmed through FTIR and XRD while round morphology and sizes below 100 nm could be observed by TEM. In addition, N2 adsorption and desorption analysis confirmed hollow and mesoporous nature of the bioactive glass shell. Interestingly, post removal of template, particles reported higher surface area, pore volume and pore diameter along with decrease in surface charge. Deposition of hydroxyapatite on hollow bioactive glass in Simulated Buffer Fluid (SBF) could be observed from Day 7 of immersion while well‐developed hydroxyapatite depositions could be observed by Day 30. This proved bioactivity of the material while cytotoxicity analysis on Human Osteosarcoma cell line (U2OS) through MTT assay proved the biocompatible nature of the hollow bioactive glass particle.

Advantages of nanoscale bioactive glass as inorganic filler in alginate hydrogels for drug delivery and biofabrication

Sodium alginate is a natural biocompatible polymer obtained from brown algae which has found numerous biomedical applications. Inorganic fillers, such as nanosized bioactive glass (nBG) particles, are well known for their outstanding properties in terms of being osteoconductive and osteoinductive and therefore finding application in bone tissue engineering. In this study, the impact of nBG particles on alginate hydrogels was investigated for applications of the composite hydrogel in biofabrication and drug delivery. The influence of nBG particles on properties such as printability, drug release ability and bioactivity (capability to form a hydroxyapatite (HAp) layer on the surface of nBG-alginate capsules) was studied. In vitro cell studies proved high cell viability of all inks. Due to the presence of nBG particles, more precise printed grids and pore sizes were achieved. Moreover, a decrease of the release of the model drug icariin in the presence of nBG particles was determined. The formation of a HAp layer on the surface of nBG-alginate capsules was assessed by FTIR, XRD and SEM. Overall, the addition of nBG particles into alginate hydrogels led to the improvement of the relevant properties investigated. Therefore, nBG-alginate systems should gain more attention for 3 D bioprinting and drug delivery approaches.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/26889277.2022.2039078 .

Development of Bioactive Glass-Collagen-Hyaluronic Acid-Polycaprolactone Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering Applications.

In this work, bioactive glass (BG) particles synthesized by a sol-gel method, hyaluronic acid (HYA) and collagen (COL) extracted from chicken eggshell membrane (ESM), and as-purchased polycaprolactone (PCL) were used to obtain a novel bioactive scaffold using the gel-pressing technique. Two composite mixtures in weight percent were obtained and identified as SCF-1 and SCF-2, and were characterized by using FTIR, XRD, and SEM techniques. Subsequently, the composite materials applied as coatings were evaluated in simulated body fluid solutions using electrochemical techniques. The results of bioactivity and biodegradability evaluations, carried out by immersing in simulated body fluid and phosphate-buffered saline solution, showed that the SCF-1 sample presented the best biocompatibility. In accordance with the potentiodynamic results, the 316L-SS and the SCF-1-coated SS showed a very similar corrosion potential (E corr ), around −228 mV, and current density (i corr ) values in close proximity, while the SCF-2-coated SS showed more positive E corr around −68 mV and lower i corr value in one order of magnitude. These results agree with those obtained by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, which show a corrosion mechanism governed by activation and finite diffusion through the porous layer. In addition, results were complemented by dynamic compression testing under oscillating forces to identify the developed scaffolds’ response under external forces, where the SCF-1 scaffold presented a maximum compression. The degradation resistance, bioactivity, and mechanically obtained measurements provided interesting results for potential further studies in tissue engineering.

3D Fiber Reinforced Hydrogel Scaffolds by Melt Electrowriting and Gel Casting as a Hybrid Design for Wound Healing.

Emerging biomanufacturing technologies have revolutionized the field of tissue engineering by offering unprecedented possibilities. Over the past few years, new opportunities arose by combining traditional and novel fabrication techniques, shaping the hybrid designs in biofabrication. One of the potential application fields is skin tissue engineering, in which a combination of traditional principles of wound dressing with advanced biofabrication methods could yield more efficient therapies. In this study, a hybrid design of fiber-reinforced scaffolds combined with gel casting is developed and the efficiency for in vivo wound healing applications is assessed. For this purpose, 3D fiber meshes produced by melt electrowriting are selectively filled with photocrosslinkable gelatin hydrogel matrices loaded with different growth factor carrier microspheres. Additionally, the influence of the inclusion of inorganic bioactive glass particles within the composite fibrous mesh is evaluated. Qualitative evaluation of secondary wound healing criteria and histological analysis shows that hybrid scaffolds containing growth factors and bioactive glass enhances the healing process significantly, compared to the designs merely providing a fiber-reinforced bioactive hydrogel matrix as the wound dressing. This study aims to explore a new application area for melt electrowriting as a powerful tool in fabricating hybrid therapeutic designs for skin tissue engineering.

Corrosion performance and biological properties of electrophoretically deposited bioactive glass-zirconia core-shell composite coating on Ti6Al4V substrate

For the simultaneous improvement of the biological and corrosion performance of the Ti6Al4V substrate, a bioactive glass-zirconia core-shell composite coating is thoroughly studied. For this purpose, the bioactive glass and core-shell particles were prepared using a combination of sol-gel and sonochemical processing techniques and then electrophoretically deposited on anodized substrate. The appropriate cohesion due to the core-shell particles, lower coating thickness, and the reduced cathodic voltage resulted in higher barrier performance of the coatings compared to the bioactive glass coating group as tested in a phosphate-buffered saline solution (impedance (|Z|) was 7.6 times higher). In addition, despite the presence of a ZrO2 shell around the bioactive glass particles, the bioactivity was not greatly affected. Furthermore, cell viability study on the core-shell coating, following exposure to MG63 cells, confirmed the non-cytotoxic nature of the coatings. According to the SEM images, cell proliferation improved significantly on the core-shell coatings compared to a bioactive glass group, perhaps due to the excellent pH control owing to the presence of a zirconia shell. These results confirmed the positive effects of using core-shell coating on the improvement of bioactivity and corrosion performance of the Ti6Al4V implant.

Bioactive materials in conservative dentistry

Over the last years, bioactive glass particles have been successfully incorporated in dental restorative materials. Remineralizing effects on dental hard tissue and antibacterial properties are promising properties of these customized composites. A few materials doped with bioactive fillers are already available on the dental market. Nevertheless, further research is required to fine-tune bioactive composites for biomimetic restorative approaches.

Shape fidelity, mechanical and biological performance of 3D printed polycaprolactone-bioactive glass composite scaffolds

Direct ink writing (DIW) is a promising extrusion-based 3D printing technology, which employs an ink-deposition nozzle to fabricate 3D scaffold structures with customizable ink formulations for tissue engineering applications. However, determining the optimal DIW process parameters such as temperature, pressure, and speed for the specific ink is essential to achieve high reproducibility of the designed geometry and subsequent mechano-biological performance for different applications, particularly for porous scaffolds of finite sizes (total volume > 1000 mm3) and controlled pore size and porosity. The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of fabricating Polycaprolactone (PCL) and bio-active glass (BG) composite-based 3D scaffolds of finite size using DIW. 3D-scaffolds were fabricated either as cylinders (10 mm diameter; 15 mm height) or cubes (5 × 5 × 5 mm3) with height/width aspect ratios of 1.5 and 1, respectively. A rheological characterization of the PCL-BG inks was performed before printing to determine the optimal printing parameters such as pressure and speed for printing at 110 °C. Microstructural properties of the scaffolds were analyzed in terms of overall scaffold porosity, and in situ pore size assessments in each layer (36 pores/layer; 1764 pores per specimen) during their fabrication. Measured porosity of the fabricated specimens—PCL: x¯ =46.94%, SD = 1.61; PCL-10 wt%BG: x¯ = 48.29%, SD = 5.95; and PCL-20 wt% BG: x¯=50.87%, SD = 2.45—matched well with the designed porosity of 50%. Mean pore sizes—PCL [x¯ = 0.37 mm (SD = 0.03)], PCL-10%BG [x¯ = 0.38 mm (SD = 0.07)] and PCL-20% BG [x¯ = 0.37 mm (SD = 0.04)]—were slightly fairly close to the designed pore size of 0.4 mm. Nevertheless there was a small but consistent, statistically significant (p < 0.0001) decrease in pore size from the first printed layer (PCL: 0.39 mm; PCL-10%BG: 0.4 mm; PCL-20%BG: 0.41 mm) to the last. SEM and micro-CT imaging revealed consistent BG particle distribution across the layers and throughout the specimens. Cell adhesion experiments revealed similar cell adhesion of PCL-20 wt% BG to pure PCL, but significantly better cell proliferation – as inferred from metabolic activity – after 7 days, although a decrease after 14 days was noted. Quasi-static compression tests showed a decrease in compressive yield strength and apparent elastic modulus with increasing BG fraction, which could be attributed to a lack of adequate mechanical bonding between the BG particles and the PCL matrix. The results show that the inks were successfully generated, and the scaffolds were fabricated with high resolution and fidelity despite their relatively large size (>1000 mm3). However, further work is required to understand the mechano-biological interaction between the BG particle additives and the PCL matrix to improve the mechanical and biological properties of the printed structures.