Understanding Basics Of 3-D Printed Bone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds

Abstract: Congenital abnormalities, trauma (such as fractures and non-unions), bone diseases (such as osteoporosis, osteosarcoma, and osteonecrosis), or surgery (such as tumor removal, spinal fusion) can all result in bone defects, which can have clinical as well as socioeconomic implications (1). Bone can self-heal; however, because bone repair-related cells lack a growth and differentiation platform, it cannot regenerate in some circumstances, such as large defects. Nowadays, autologous bone grafting, allogenic bone grafting, and synthetic bone graft substitutes (i.e., bone tissue engineering scaffolds, BTES) are available as therapies for critical-sized bone deficiencies. Nevertheless, secondary damage, inadequate size matching, immunological response, and other dangers from auto- and allo-transplantation have restricted their clinical utility. BTES with excellent biocompatibility and robust osteogenesis ability have been extensively explored to address the aforementioned issues with clinical treatment processes, particularly the polymer-based composite bone scaffolds made by 3D printing in accordance with the clinical needs of patients (2).