Porous and Strong Bioactive Glass (13-93) Scaffolds Fabricated by Freeze Extrusion Technique
Abstract
Scaffolds fabricated by current methods often lack the combination of high strength and high porosity for skeletal substitution of load-bearing bones. In this work, freeze extrusion fabrication (FEF), a solid freeform fabrication technique, was investigated for the creation of porous and strong bioactive glass (13-93) scaffolds for potential applications in the repair of loaded bone. The process parameters for forming three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with a pre-designed, grid-like microstructure by FEF were determined. Following thermal treatment of the as-formed constructs at temperatures up to 700 °C, scaffolds consisting of dense glass struts and interconnecting pores (porosity ≈ 50%; pore width ≈ 300 μm) were obtained. These scaffolds showed an elastic mechanical response in compression, with a compressive strength of 140 ± 70 MPa and an elastic modulus of 5.5 ± 0.5 GPa, comparable to the values for human cortical bone. The scaffolds supported the proliferation of osteogenic cells in vitro, showing their biocompatibility. These results indicate that 13-93 bioactive glass scaffolds created by the FEF method could have potential application in the repair and regeneration of load-bearing bones.
Recommended Citation
T. Huang et al., "Porous and Strong Bioactive Glass (13-93) Scaffolds Fabricated by Freeze Extrusion Technique," Materials Science and Engineering: C, vol. 31, no. 7, pp. 1482 - 1489, Elsevier, Oct 2011.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2011.06.004
Department(s)
Materials Science and Engineering
Second Department
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
Bioactive Glass; Bone Repair; Freeze Extrusion Fabrication; Scaffold; Solid freeform fabrication
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
0928-4931
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2011 Elsevier, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Oct 2011