3D Printing of a Polymer Bioactive Glass Composite for Bone Repair

A major limitation of synthetic bone repair is insufficient vascularization of the interior region of the scaffold. In this study, we investigated the 3D printing of adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) with polycaprolactone (PCL)/bioactive glass composite in a single process. This offered a three-dimensional environment for complex and dynamic interactions that govern the cell’s behavior in vivo. Borate based bioactive (13-93B3) glass of different concentrations (10 to 50 weight %) was added to a mixture of PCL and organic solvent to make an extrudable paste. AD-MSCs suspended in Matrigel was extruded as droplets using a second syringe. Scaffolds measuring 10x10x1 mm3 in overall dimensions with a filament width of ~500 μm and pore sizes ranging from 100 to 200 μm were fabricated. Strut formability dependence on paste viscosity, scaffold integrity, and printing parameters for droplets of ADMSCs suspended in Matrigel were investigated