The Potential of Stereolithography for 3D Printing of Synthetic Trabecular Bone Structures

Abstract

Synthetic bone models are used to train surgeons as well as to test new medical devices. However, currently available models do not accurately mimic the complex structure of trabecular bone, which can provide erroneous results. This study aimed to investigate the suitability of stereolithography (SLA) to produce synthetic trabecular bone. Samples were printed based on synchrotron micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) images of human bone, with scaling factors from 1 to 4.3. Structure replicability was assessed with micro-CT, and mechanical properties were evaluated by compression and screw pull-out tests. The overall geometry was well-replicated at scale 1.8, with a volume difference to the original model of <10%. However, scaling factors below 1.8 gave major print artefacts, and a low accuracy in trabecular thickness distribution. A comparison of the model–print overlap showed printing inaccuracies of ~20% for the 1.8 scale, visible as a loss of smaller details. SLA-printed parts exhibited a higher pull-out strength compared to existing synthetic models (Sawbones ™), and a lower strength compared to cadaveric specimens and fused deposition modelling (FDM)-printed parts in poly (lactic acid). In conclusion, for the same 3D model, SLA enabled higher resolution and printing of smaller scales compared to results reported by FDM.