Development and characterization of Polymer composite scaffolds fabricated Using additive manufacturing method For tissue engineering applications

Abstract

Global market value for Tissue Engineering (TE) scaffolds is increasing rapidly due to accidents, cancer, osteoporosis and other infections that damage the tissues. Our bodies are designed for natural healing from the inside out, but a wide range of medical diseases require the use of artificial aid. As a result, something that can support the body and cure wounds and injured tissues quickly and effectively is critical. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a smart manufacturing technology where materials are added layer by layer to form parts as opposed to subtractive manufacturing technologies. Wherein medical applications, AM provides a wide range of tailor-made parts based on unique patient data and requirements without any time constraint. Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) plays a crucial role in AM in the development of novel materials at a low cost, with the feature of using a wide range of fillers through variations in weight percentage and design freedom, to match the properties of patient-specific implants. TE is an interdisciplinary field of research as it plays a crucial role in regenerating tissues in the injured area. TE uses mostly metal implants for Bone Tissue Engineering (BTE) applications and Biodegradable implants for non-load bearing areas. Composite filaments are most widely used by researchers in the development of scaffolds that use biodegradable polymers and ceramic filler particles such as Hydroxyapatite that constitute the majority of the bone. The weight percentage of fillers can be varied accordingly based on the end application. newline