Degradation and Fatigue Behavior of 3D-Printed Bioresorbable Tracheal Splints.

Severe infantile tracheobronchomalacia (TBM) is often treated with invasive surgery and fixed-size implants to support the trachea during respiration. A novel 3D-printed extra-luminal splint has been developed as a flexible and bioresorbable alternative. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to use an in vitro breathing simulator model to comprehensively evaluate the structural stiffness and failure modes of two sizes of a novel bioresorbable 3D-printed splint design under a range of physiological degradation conditions.

Manufacture Dependent Differential Biodegradation of 3D Printed Shape Memory Polymers.

In the field of tissue engineering, 3D printed shape memory polymers (SMPs) are drawing increased interest. Understanding how these 3D printed SMPs degrade is critical for their use in the clinic, as small changes in material properties can significantly change how they behave after implantation. Degradation of 3D printed acrylated poly(glycerol-dodecanedioate) (APGD) was examined via hydrolytic, enzymatic, and subcutaneous implantation assays.

Development and Characterization of Heparin-Containing Hydrogel/3D-Printed Scaffold Composites for Craniofacial Reconstruction.

Regeneration of cartilage and bone tissues remains challenging in tissue engineering due to their complex structures, and the need for both mechanical support and delivery of biological repair stimuli. Therefore, the goal of this study was to develop a composite scaffold platform for anatomic chondral and osteochondral repair using heparin-based hydrogels to deliver small molecules within 3D-printed porous scaffolds that provide structure, stiffness, and controlled biologic delivery. We designed a mold-injection system to combine hydrolytically degradable hydrogels and 3D-printed scaffolds that could be employed rapidly (< 30 min) in operating room settings (~23 °C).

3D printing modality effect: Distinct printing outcomes dependent on selective laser sintering (SLS) and melt extrusion.

A direct and comprehensive comparative study on different 3D printing modalities was performed. We employed two representative 3D printing modalities, laser- and extrusion-based, which are currently used to produce patient-specific medical implants for clinical translation, to assess how these two different 3D printing modalities affect printing outcomes. The same solid and porous constructs were created from the same biomaterial, a blend of 96% poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) and 4% hydroxyapatite (HA), using two different 3D printing modalities.