3D Bioplotter Research Papers

Extrusion-based 3D printing of thermoplastic polymers presents significant potential for bone tissue engineering. However, a key limitation is the frequent absence of filament porosity and the inherent osteoconductive properties. This study addresses these challenges by fabricating poly(lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate) (PLATMC) scaffolds with dual-scale porosity: macroporosity achieved through controlled filament spacing and microporosity introduced via NaCl leaching. The inclusion of NaCl generated rough, porous surfaces that were well-suited for dip-coating with magnesium-carbonate-doped hydroxyapatite (MgCHA), thereby imparting osteoconductive functionality. Thermal analysis revealed that salt incorporation had minimal impact on the polymer’s thermal stability. Rheological studies and computational modeling indicated that NaCl reduced the…

The application of hydroxyapatite (HA)-based templates is quite often seen in bone tissue engineering since that HA is an osteoconductive bioceramic material, which mimics the inorganic component of mineralized tissues. However, the reported osteoconductivity varies in vitro and in vivo, and the levels of calcium (Ca) release most favorable to osteoconduction have yet to be determined. In this study, HA-based templates were fabricated by melt-extrusion 3D-printing and characterized in order to determine a possible correlation between Ca release and osteoconduction. The HA-based templates were blended with poly(lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate) (PLATMC) at three different HA ratios: 10, 30, and 50%. The printability…

Background To support bone regeneration, 3D-printed templates function as temporary guides. The preferred materials are synthetic polymers, due to their ease of processing and biological inertness. Poly(lactide-co-trimethylene carbonate) (PLATMC) has good biological compatibility and currently used in soft tissue regeneration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the osteoconductivity of 3D-printed PLATMC templates for bone tissue engineering, in comparison with the widely used 3D-printed polycaprolactone (PCL) templates. Methods The printability and physical properties of 3D-printed templates were assessed, including wettability, tensile properties and the degradation profile. Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) were used to evaluate osteoconductivity and…