Effect of different pore sizes of 3D printed PLA-based scaffold in bone tissue engineering

For the treatment of bone injuries and defects, when PLA and 3D printer technology are combined with its features, it promises great hope in personalized treatment. The average pore size is one of the cornerstones of the success of bone tissue engineering studies. In this study, five different tissue scaffolds with average pore sizes ranging from 100 to 550 μm were printed using a 3D printer and characterized by DSC, FT-IR, BF, SEM, contact angle measurement, mechanical, and degradation analysis for their structural, chemical and mechanical properties. Subsequently, in vitro studies were initiated and the differentiation capacity of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from rat bone marrow and their use in bone tissue engineering applications were investigated by MTS, Live-Dead, Pico Green, ALP assays, and von Kossa staining. In conclusion, it was seen that the most ideal results were obtained in scaffolds with a pore size of 370–460 μm in terms of cell retention, proliferation, and differentiation. Based on extensive experimental data, 3D printed PLA scaffold with a 60% filling rate has been found to be a promising scaffold for BTE applications compared with the 50, 70, 80, and 90% filling rate scaffolds.