Mechanical, Structural, and Biological Characteristics of Polylactide/Wollastonite 3D Printed Scaffolds

Abstract

The present work aimed to study the synergistic response of bioresorbable polylactide/bioactive wollastonite scaffolds towards mechanical stability, mesenchymal stromal cell colonization, and antibacterial activity in the physiological environment. Wollastonite was synthesized at 800 °C within 2 h by sol-gel combustion method. The surface area was found to be 1.51 m2/g, and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) micrographs indicated the presence of porous structures. Fused deposition modeling was used to prepare 3D-printed polylactide/wollastonite and polylactide/hydroxyapatite scaffolds. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs confirmed the interconnected porous structure and complex geometry of the scaffolds. The addition of wollastonite decreased the contact angle of the scaffolds. The mechanical testing of scaffolds examined by computational simulation, as well as machine testing, revealed their non-load-bearing capacity. The chemical constituent of the scaffolds was found to influence the attachment response of different cells on their surface. The incorporation of wollastonite effectively reduced live bacterial attachment, whereas the colonization of mesenchymal cells was improved. This observation confirms polylactide/wollastonite scaffold possesses both bactericidal as well as cytocompatible properties. Thus, the risk of peri-implant bacterial film formation can be prevented, and the biological fixation of the scaffold at the defect site can be enhanced by utilizing these composites.

Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Jet-Induced Graft Polymerization of Composite Hydrogel on 3D-Printed Polymer Surfaces for Biomedical Application

“…The functional group C-O-C deformation vibration peak of PLA was found at 677 cm −1 , the CH 3 deformation with overlapping C-O-C stretching peak was found at 1117 cm −1 , the C-COO peak was found at 997 cm −1 , the -C=O ester peak was found at 1700 cm −1 , at 2584-2920 cm −1 is where the CH 3 stretching vibrations peak, while 3217 and 3614 cm −1 is where the OH stretching vibrations peak [47,48]. In addition, there is a change in the intensity of absorption peaks due to the incorporation of oxygen-containing polar functional groups on the surface of 3D-printed PLA samples after APPJ treatment, such as carbonyl peaks (C=O), which represents surface oxidation [27,30,49]. The asymmetrical methyl bending (CH 3 ) peak of HEMA was discovered at 1520-1530 cm −1 after UV grafting with composite hydrogel; the ester groups were identified by a peak at C=O stretching at 1738 cm −1 and C-O stretching at 1280 cm −1 ; the alcoholic groups were identified by a peak at O-H bending at 1035 cm −1 and C-O stretching at 3465 cm −1 ; and the peak at 1642 cm −1 due to absorption indicates C=C methacrylate [37,43,44].…”

Recent Advances in the Additive Manufacturing of Stimuli‐Responsive Soft Polymers

“…[217][218][219][220] In contrast to FDM printing, DIW is a common printing approach in which the bonding and solidification of various layers are occurred by chemical changes through the crosslinking (curing) reactions and interlayer cross-linking. [221][222][223][224][225][226] In the DIW printing, viscoelastic polymer inks are extruded through a nozzle and are deposited as thin layers one upon another to create a solid object, [227][228][229][230] as illustrated in Figure 3B. This technique is suitable for gel-like materials which offer special rheological properties such as shear thinning.…”