Abstract
This work investigated a new three-dimensional (3D) printing methodology to prepare porous scaffolds containing horizontal pore and composition gradients. To achieve that, a multimaterial printing technology developed in our laboratory was adapted to incorporate pore gradients. Fibers were printed by welding segments with unique material compositions and fiber diameters. Particularly, we focused on the preparation of model composite poly(ɛ-caprolactone)-based scaffolds with radial gradients of particulate hydroxyapatite (HA) content (higher concentrations in the outer region of the scaffold) and porosity (higher in the inner region). The morphology of the scaffolds revealed that the methodology allowed the fabrication of discrete regions with compressive mechanical properties similar to human trabecular bone while maintaining structural integrity. HA distribution was homogeneous within individual regions and no particle aggregation was detected by microCT analysis and Alizarin Red S staining. Finally, the incubation of the scaffolds in simulated body fluid resulted in the deposition of significantly higher amounts of calcium deposits in the regions of the scaffolds with higher HA content. This work provides a new tool for the preparation of porous scaffolds containing porosity and composition gradients for complex tissue engineering applications.
Impact Statement
In this study, we report the development of a novel multimaterial segmented three-dimensional printing methodology to fabricate porous scaffolds containing discrete horizontal gradients of composition and porosity. This methodology is particularly beneficial to preparing porous scaffolds with intricate structures and graded compositions for the regeneration of complex tissues. The technique presented is compatible with many commercially available bioprinters commonly used in biofabrication, and can be adapted to better replicate the architectural and compositional requirements of individual tissues compared with traditional scaffold printing methods.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
