Experimental and numerical investigation of polymethyl methacrylate scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Abstract

A controversial issue in tissue engineering is the development of new methods to fabricate scaffolds that precisely imitate the structure and function of the extracellular matrix. The objective of this study is to propose a new method in scaffold fabrication and investigate the effects of pore topology, particularly gradient structure, on the mechanical properties of the scaffolds. In this regard, poly(methyl methacrylate) sheets constructing the scaffold's substructures were cut by laser and then stacked on each other. Experimental and numerical methods were utilized to evaluate the mechanical properties of the square and circular scaffolds. The results demonstrate that this method has the ability to fabricate interconnected pores with the controllability on their design. It can also give accurate mechanical properties, especially gradient structure eliminating the weaknesses of simple structures. Moreover, a comparison between the scaffolds showed that opting an appropriate structure can lead to a higher porosity with preferable mechanical properties.