Direct inkjet writing type 1 bovine collagen/ β‐tricalcium phosphate scaffolds for bone regeneration

This study aimed to develop and characterize 3D printed scaffolds composed of type I collagen augmented with β-tricalcium phosphate (COL/β-TCP). A custom-built direct inkjet write (DIW) printer was used to fabricate β-TCP, COL, and COL/β-TCP scaffolds using synthesized colloidal gels. After chemical crosslinking, the scaffolds were lyophilized and subjected to several characterization techniques, inclu ding light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and x-ray diffraction to evaluate morphological and chemical properties. In vitro evaluation was performed using human osteoprogenitor cells to assess cytotoxicity and proliferative capacity of the different scaffold types. Characterization result s confirmed the presence of β-TCP in the 3D printed COL/β-TCP scaffolds, which exhibited crystals that were attributed to β-TCP due to the presence of calcium and phosphorus, detected through energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. In vitro studies showed that the COL/β-TCP scaffolds yielded more favorable results in terms of cell viability and proliferation compared to β-TCP and COL scaffolds. The novel COL/β-TCP scaffold constructs hold promise for improving BTE applications and may offer a superior environment for bone regeneration compared with conventional COL and β-TCP scaffolds.
Source: Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials - Category: Materials Science Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research