Porosity effect of 3D-printed polycaprolactone membranes on calvarial defect model for guided bone regeneration

Abstract

The appropriate porosity and pore size of barrier membranes were associated with the transportation of biomolecules required for new bone formation and angiogenesis. In this study, we fabricated three-dimensional (3D)-printed resorbable polycaprolactone (PCL) membranes with different porosities (30%, 50%, and 70%) to evaluate the effective pore size for guided bone regeneration (GBR) membranes. To analyze mechanical properties and cytocompatibility, PCL membranes prepared using extrusion-based 3D printing technology were compared in dry and wet conditions and tested in vitro. The proliferation rates and pattern of fibroblasts and preosteoblasts on PCL membranes with different porosities were determined using a cell counting kit-8 assay and scanning electron microscopy. PCL membrane porosity did not affect cell proliferation, but osteogenic differentiation and mechanical properties were increased with lower porosity (30%) on day 14 (p < 0.001). Similar results were found in an in vivo calvarial defect model; new bone formation was significantly higher in PCL membranes with lower porosity (p < 0.001). These results indicate that 3D-printed PCL with 30% porosity (130 μm pore size) is an excellent pore size for GBR membranes.

The Application of Polycaprolactone in Three-Dimensional Printing Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

“…The scaffold porosity is an important factor affecting the performance of scaffolds. Shim [ 71 ] found that 3D printed PCL GBR membranes with 30% porosity (130 μm pore size) were excellent for calvarial regeneration. Second, the pore structure has also been studied.…”

Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Three-Dimensional-Osteoconductive Scaffold Regenerate Calvarial Bone in Critical Size Defects in Swine

“…Skull injury repair has primarily been investigated in small animal models such as rats [26][27][28][29] and rabbits. [30][31][32] These studies have made important contributions to the development of strategies for calvarial bone regeneration. However, rodent calvaria are very different from that of humans, and a large animal CSD model is ultimately necessary for enabling clinical translation.…”

3D-Printed Barrier Membrane Using Mixture of Polycaprolactone and Beta-Tricalcium Phosphate for Regeneration of Rabbit Calvarial Defects

“…A synthetic bioresorbable membrane using a combination of polycarprolactone (PCL) and beta tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) has recently been introduced to overcome the drawbacks of existing membranes [13]. The PCL/β-TCP membrane showed increased mechanical stability and slower degradation compared to conventional collagen membranes with reliable bone regeneration [14].…”

“…Since the PCL/β-TCP membrane is fabricated with 3D printing techniques, the membrane can be designed and printed as an individually tailored membrane, which fits to each bone defect [13]. Acquiring a perfect fit around a bone defect can result in reduced surgery time as well as the prevention of membrane exposure [16].…”

“…Previous studies have shown the efficacy of PCL/β-TCP membrane in vitro and in vivo [13,14]. However, there was a lack of histologic evaluation in the early healing stage and thorough observation regarding tissue reaction to the PCL/β-TCP membrane per se.…”