In vitro cell proliferation evaluation of porous nano-zirconia scaffolds with different porosity for bone tissue engineering

Abstract

The selection of scaffold materials and the optimization of scaffold morphological and mechanical properties are critical for successful bone tissue engineering. We fabricated porous scaffolds of nano-sized zirconia using a replication technique. The study aimed to explore the relationship between porosity, pore size, mechanical strength, cell adhesion, and cell proliferation in the zirconia scaffolds. Macro- and micro-structures and compressive strength were comparatively tested. Beagle bone marrow stromal cells were seeded onto the scaffolds to evaluate cell seeding efficiency and cell proliferation profile over 14 d of incubation. The zirconia scaffolds presented a complex porous structure with good interconnectivity of pores. By increasing the sinter cycles, the porosity and pore size of the scaffolds decreased, with mean values ranging from 92.7-68.0% and 830-577 μm, respectively, accompanied by increased compressive strengths of 0.6-4.4 MPa. Cell seeding efficiency and cell proliferation over the first 7 d of incubation increased when the porosity decreased, with cell viability highest in the scaffold with a porosity of 75.2%. After 7 d of incubation, the cell proliferation increased when the porosity increased, highest in the scaffolds with a porosity of 92.7%. These results showed that the zirconia scaffold with a porosity of 75.2% possesses favorable mechanical and biological properties for future applications in bone tissue engineering.

Poly(Dopamine) Coating on 3D-Printed Poly-Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid/β-Tricalcium Phosphate Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

“…In addition, the multi-level pores and large specific surface area can improve the adsorption of nutrients and proteins. A strong bond and stable interconnected pores can withstand a larger load bearing [26,27,28]. These results endow the scaffold with a kind of prominent superiority, because it is lightweight, indicating that the thickness of the coatings does not have an influence on the pore size, porosity and density of the scaffolds, while the high porosity of the scaffolds can be retained.…”

Mechanical performance of highly permeable laser melted Ti6Al4V bone scaffolds

“…When it comes to critical length defects, the self-healing abilities of the bone requires to be supported either through autografts or allografts [3]. In order to complement these techniques, new biomaterials and scaffolding techniques are gaining momentum within the wider context of Bone Tissue Engineering (BTE) [4][5][6][7][8].…”

The effect of larger than cell diameter polylactic acid surface patterns on osteogenic differentiation of rat dental pulp stem cells

“…Even so, obtained results showed a significantly greater DPSC proliferation on both studied PLA scaffolds versus control TCSP surface. These differences could have appeared due to surface spatial structure (2,5‐3D) which tends to increase the proliferation of various cell lines. Apart from apparent difference in surface area that occurs in 3D structures versus 2D, other aspects, such as surface roughness, shape, and diameter, should also be considered.…”