Influence of Microstructure on the Binder Ratio of B-TCP Tissue Scaffolds Using Selective Laser Sintering

The growing interest in scaffold-guided tissue engineering (TE) to guide and support cell proliferation in the repair and replacement of bone defects gave rise to the quest for a precise. Rapid prototyping (RP) has been identified as a promising technique capable of building complex objects with pre-designed macro- and microstructures. Calcium phosphate ceramics are biocompatible and may develop interactions with human living bone tissues. They are used clinically on the surface of orthopedic implants to improve primary fixation or in the form of porous blocks. The research focused on the macro and micro-structure of using the selective laser sintering (SLS) technique for creating porous tissue engineering scaffolds. The composite blends obtained by physical blending nano TCP and micro polymer powder binders. The SLS-fabricated test specimens were characterized using XRD and scanning electron microscopy. The total porous volume of the ceramics was over 70% and the pore size from several μm to 600μm. The results obtained ascertained that SLS-fabricated scaffolds have good potential for TE applications.