A research project of Nottingham Trent University’s Design for Health and Wellbeing Research Group aims to improve the toughness of synthetic bone substitutes.
In order to provide patients suffering from bone loss due to cancer treatment of accidents with implants, customised scaffolds that allow for the growth and regeneration of natural tissue can be 3D printed. This scaffold is made from the same minerals found in natural bone and is designed to dissolve and be replaced by new tissue once the patient recovers.
The researchers want to mimic structures that can be observed in biological materials. They therefore examined how the growth of crystals at temperatures below zero degrees can be used combined with 3D printing technology to structure a material at different orders of magnitude.
“This research demonstrates how 3D printing in combination with freezing can reduce significantly the fabrication time and cost of such medical devices,” said PhD candidate Manolis Papastavrou. “The secret behind the toughness of many biological materials is the way their components are arranged from the molecular all the way up to a macro level. Using this design strategy could help engineer bone scaffolds, whose porosity does not compromise their strength.”
Professor Philip Breedon, who oversees the study, added: “This research is a real step forward as it shows how we can use 3D printing to improve biomaterials without the need for achieving high resolution.”
In future, these 3D printed, tough scaffolds could replace orthopaedic implants made of metal.
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