Development of bioinspired scaffolds of PLA/bioactive ceramic fillers through 3D printing

Abstract

With the increased life expectancy of the world population there was an increase in the need for orthopedic procedures for bone repairs due to trauma. In this context new surgical procedures have been developed as well as new materials for bone repair. One of the most promissing alternatives is the development of scaffolds which may be made of metals, ceramics or polymers and should mimic the natural extracellular matrix of bone (architecture, biochemistry and mechanical properties) in order to enable cell binding, proliferation and differentiation. Usually metal scaffolds present problems with the release of metallic ions, while ceramic scaffolds are fragile and difficult to mold and polymer scaffolds do not have adequate mechanical properties. One of the ways to produce scaffolds with adequate mechanical properties and bioactive behavior is the production of PLA composites with bioactive ceramic fillers such as bioglass, hydroxyapatite (HA) and ²-tricalcium phosphate (TCP). This way, the biocompatibility and biodegradability characteristics of the PLA and the biocompatibility, bioactivity of these ceramic loads are can be obtained in one single material. Conventional techniques for the production of polymer composites / ceramic fillers generally employ solvents and lead to the formation of morphology with pore size distribution. In this project the production of PLA scaffolds / bioactive ceramic loads will be carried out using the additive manufacturing technique, 3D printing, thus obtaining bioactive scaffolds with controlled morphology (pore sizes that mimic the bone structure) and which present adequate mechanical and permeability to body fluids / proteins for application in bone regeneration. (AU)