3D printing of inorganic-biopolymer composites for bone regeneration

Abstract

In most cases, bone injuries heal without complications, however, there is an increasing number of instances where bone healing needs major clinical intervention. Available treatment options have severe drawbacks, such as donor site morbidity and limited availability for autografting. Bone graft substitutes containing growth factors would be a viable alternative, however they have been associated with dose-related safety concerns and lack control over spatial architecture to anatomically match bone defect sites. 3D printing offers a solution to produce patient specific bone graft substitutes that are customized to the patient bone defect with temporal control over the incorporated therapeutics to maximize their efficacy. Inspired by the natural constitution of bone tissue, composites made of inorganic phases, such as nanosilicate particles, calcium phosphate, and bioactive glasses, combined with biopolymer matrices have been investigated as building blocks for the biofabrication of bone constructs. Besides capturing elements of the bone physiological structure, these inorganic/organic composites can be designed for specific cohesivity, rheological and mechanical properties, while both inorganic and organic constituents contribute to the composite bioactivity. This review provides an overview of 3D printed composite biomaterial-inks for bone tissue engineering. Furthermore, key aspects in biomaterial-ink design, 3D printing techniques, and the building blocks for composite biomaterial-inks are summarized.

Recent Advancements and Trends in 3D Printing for Biomedical Applications

“…18 Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) 19 is a water soluble polymer that can form PVA-based hydrogel as a biomaterial for 3D printing applications such as vascular and cartilage tissue engineering. 7 Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) 20 is the co-polymer made from lactic acid and glycolic acid. PLGA has been used for bone and cartilage implants due to its low melting point (120 °C) and biocompatibility.…”

“…23,24 Top Inorganic Substances Hydroxylapatite (HAp, Ca5(PO4)3(OH)), is heavily used as the filler in dental material and bone repair. 20 Tricalcium phosphate is also anther filler for bone regeneration/repairs in combination with other biopolymers. 20 Graphene oxide and graphene are both used in bone regeneration/repair 25,26 as the additive to reinforce the polymers.…”

“…20 Tricalcium phosphate is also anther filler for bone regeneration/repairs in combination with other biopolymers. 20 Graphene oxide and graphene are both used in bone regeneration/repair 25,26 as the additive to reinforce the polymers. Graphene filament combined with PLC is printed as the 3D electrode to become the biosensor.…”

Application of 3D Printing in Bone Grafts

“…Scaffolds can be filled with medicines, which are then released locally at the site of scaffold implantation [ 61 ] ( Figure 1 ). There is a wide range of materials used in bone tissue engineering, e.g., gypsum, ceramics, resin, and plastics [ 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 ].…”

Properties of Calcium Phosphate/Hydrogel Bone Grafting Composite on the Model of Diaphyseal Rat Femur’s Defect: Experimental Study

“…Развитие наук о материалах позволяет создавать большое количе ство соединений и композитов с вероятными кли ническими свойствами (способность к биодегра дации с заданной скоростью, остеокондуктивность, остеоиндуктивность и остеогенность). Однако толь ко теоретически, без проведения исследований на животных моделях, подтвердить или опровергнуть наличие таких свойств невозможно [5,6,7].…”