Deformation behavior of porous PHBV scaffold in compression: A finite element analysis study.

Macroscopic mechanical properties of porous PHBV bone TE scaffolds have been well studied. However, their mechanical behavior at microscopic level has yet to be explored. In this study, the micro-mechanical behavior of a PHBV bone scaffold under compression was investigated using a numerical method that combines micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) and finite element analysis (FEA).

Akermanite reinforced PHBV scaffolds manufactured using selective laser sintering.

Scaffold assisted tissue engineering presents a promising approach to repair diseased and fractured bone. For successful bone repair, scaffolds need to be made of biomaterials that degrade with time and promote osteogenesis. Compared to the commonly used ß-tricalcium phosphate scaffolds, Akermanite (AKM) scaffolds were found to degrade faster and promote more osteogenesis.

In vitro degradation of a unique porous PHBV scaffold manufactured using selective laser sintering.

Biodegradable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) scaffolds have shown great promise for bone tissue engineering applications. The investigation of their hydrolytic degradation is thus essential to understand the effect of hydrolysis on the complex biodegradation behavior of PHBV scaffolds. In this study, we investigated the degradation behavior of high molecular weight PHBV scaffolds manufactured using selective laser sintering (SLS) without using predesigned porous architectures.

Synthesis, microstructure, and mechanical behaviour of a unique porous PHBV scaffold manufactured using selective laser sintering.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) is a promising technique for manufacturing bio-polymer scaffolds used in bone tissue engineering applications. Conventional scaffolds made using SLS have complex engineered architectures to introduce adequate porosity and pore interconnectivity. This study presents an alternative approach to manufacture scaffolds via SLS without using pre-designed architectures.