Three-dimensional printing of CaTiO3 incorporated porous β-Ca2SiO4 composite scaffolds for bone regeneration

Three-dimensional (3D) printed bioceramics derived from silicone are of great interest in bone tissue engineering owing to their simple processes and low cost. In this study, calcium titanate (CaTiO3) incorporated porous β-Ca2SiO4 (C2S) composite scaffolds have been successfully fabricated from preceramic resin loaded with CaCO3 and TiO2 fillers by 3D printing. The fabricated scaffolds possessed uniform interconnected macropores (ca. 400 μm). The biocompatibility and bioactivity of the CaTiO3-incorporated porous C2S scaffolds were assessed and found that the increase of CaTiO3 significantly decreased the dissolution of the C2S scaffolds, and promoted the cell proliferation and differentiation into osteoblasts. Moreover, CaTiO3-incorporated porous C2S scaffolds possessed a better osteogenic capacity than pure C2S scaffolds in vivo. Therefore, the 3D printed CaTiO3 incorporated porous C2S composite scaffolds would be a promising candidate for bone tissue engineering.