Poly lactic acid-akermanite composite scaffolds prepared by fused filament fabrication for bone tissue engineering

摘要

In this study, Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) scaffolds containing different amounts of akermanite (Ak) particles were prepared using the fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology. Ak particles were fabricated using sol–gel method. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) images revealed that the size of the synthesized Ak particles was 100?±?20?nm. The structure of the 3D printed scaffolds was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Distribution of the particles was characterized by Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS: map), showing the uniform distribution of particles through the PLA matrix. The results of the compression test showed that the strength (plateau stress) of the scaffolds was considerably improved by increasing the Ak particles from 27?±?2?MPa for the neat polymer scaffold to 45?±?3?MPa for PLA-30% Ak scaffold, which is near to the values of human cortical bone. The results of the bioactivity test (immersing the scaffolds in the Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) for 7, 14, 21 and 28 days) also indicated the enhanced formation of hydroxyapatite crystals on the scaffold surface upon increasing the immersion time and the Ak particles. While, the increment of Ak particles up to 20?wt.% had no significant effect on printability of scaffolds, and after that, reduced the scaffold printability, so the PLA-Ak 20?wt.% scaffold can be considered as a promising candidate for bone tissue engineering.