Promoting bone regeneration by 3D-printed poly(glycolic acid)/hydroxyapatite composite scaffolds

Abstract Hydroxyapatite (HAp) is a major bone graft component for hard tissue regeneration. However, sintered HAp has poor formability and mechanical properties. Porous 3D scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration were printed with computer-aided modeling using poly(glycolic acid) (PGA) and HAp. PGA scaffolds containing HAp nanoparticles were fabricated with a 400 µm pore size. PGA/HAp scaffolds containing 12.5 wt% HAp showed considerable compressive strength, osteogenesis, mineralization, and biodegradation. In in vivo animal experiments, the PGA/HAp group exhibited 47% bone regeneration, with superior bone mineral density 8 weeks after surgery. 3D-printed PGA/HAp scaffolds could provide a feasible option to promote patient-specific bone regeneration.