Bone Ingrowth Simulation within a Novel Microstructure Scaffold

Abstract

Abstract The utilization of bone scaffold implants represents a promising approach for repairing substantial bone defects. In recent years, various traditional scaffold structures have been developed and, with the advancements in materials biology and computer technology, novel scaffold designs are being evaluated. This study investigated the effects of a novel scaffold unit cell design (Hexnaoid) through a computational framework, comparing its performance to that of four well-known scaffold designs. A finite element analysis (FEA) numerical simulation and mechanical testing were conducted to analyse the dynamic bone ingrowth process and the mechanical strength of the scaffold designs, respectively. The bone formation within the Ti-6Al-4V metal scaffolds was modelled based on the theory of bone remodelling. The results indicated that the novel scaffold design (Hexnaoid) outperforms conventional unit-cell designs, achieving a high final bone occupancy (~27%) and comparable mechanical strength to that of human compact bone tissue. While the design is not optimal in every category, it presents a satisfactory overall performance in both crucial aspects of bone scaffolds among the five scaffold structures evaluated. Although limitations exist in this project, similar methodologies can still be applied in the primary evaluation of new scaffold structures, providing improved efficiency and effectiveness. In future research, the results of this project may be integrated with clinical rehabilitation processes and offering a crucial evaluation and optimization of the novel scaffold unit-cell structure design.