Design and mechanical properties analysis of heterogeneous porous scaffolds based on bone slice images

Abstract

Bone tissue engineering plays an extremely important role in the clinical treatment of bone defects. Porous scaffold is one of the three essential factors of bone tissue engineering, and its structural design has attracted more and more attention . At present, most of the design methods of porous scaffolds focus on uniform porous scaffolds with periodic and regular pore structures. However, periodic and regular pore structure cannot comprehensively and accurately simulate the microstructures and mechanical properties of natural bone. To address this problem, based on bone slice images and VT (Voronoi‐Tessellation) method, this article proposed a design method of HPS (Heterogeneous Porous Scaffolds) with bionic pore structure and controllable porosity. The FDM (fused deposition modeling) printing technology was applied to fabricate HPS with different porosities, and the mechanical properties of the HPS were analyzed by experiments. The research results illustrate that the HPS constructed by the design method proposed in this article have good controllability, and their internal pore structures are highly similar to those of natural bone, which have biomimetic characteristics. The mechanical property analysis illustrate that the stiffness and compressive strength of HPS decrease with the increase of porosity, in addition, the heterogeneous pore distribution makes HPS have the characteristics of non‐concentrated and discontinuous damage distribution. This study provides a new idea for the design of porous scaffolds and a theoretical basis for the bionic design of HPS.

Computational models for the simulation of the elastic and fracture properties of highly porous 3D‐printed hydroxyapatite scaffolds

“…As a result of this heterogeneous pore distribution, fractures occur in different parts of the scaffold rather than forming a damaged surface or narrow band. This finding is consistent with results by Wang et al 29 obtained for a Voronoi-based architecture.…”

Customized 3D‐printed heterogeneous porous titanium scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

“…There are many biomimetic design and biomaterials with different porous structures for bone tissue engineering. [27][28][29] However, there are not many reports on heterogeneous porous titanium scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. This research proposed the heterogeneous porous titanium scaffolds design and manufacturing of such pore structures are very important.…”

“…There are many biomimetic design and biomaterials with different porous structures for bone tissue engineering 27–29 . However, there are not many reports on heterogeneous porous titanium scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.…”

Comparing the bone regeneration potential between a trabecular bone and a porous scaffold through osteoblast migration and differentiation: A multiscale approach

“…[23][24][25] Porous scaffolds have been extensively investigated for bone regeneration because they can provide a threedimensional structure that supports cell attachment, proliferation, migration, and differentiation, essential processes for bone formation. 26,27 Recent advancements in additive manufacturing and modelling techniques have enabled researchers to fabricate biomaterials that offer appropriate scaffolding conducive to cell adhesion, promoting cell migration and osteogenic differentiation for faster bone regeneration and fracture healing. 28,29 In this regard, analysis of cell migration and fluid-induced FSS within a metallic porous scaffold is important to produce an ideal bone graft with biomechanical properties that closely resemble the normal bone.…”