Experimental and finite element analysis on the effect of pores on bio-printed polycaprolactone bone scaffolds

Abstract

Bone scaffolds are three-dimensional biocompatible structure that mimics the properties of natural bone and is used in tissue engineering applications to help repair or regenerate bone tissue. In addition to acting as a temporary framework for the growth of new bone, it permits the infiltration of cells, nutrients, and blood vessels to speed up the healing process. The performance and use of bone scaffolds are greatly influenced by the design of their pores.Pore shapes in bone scaffolds play a crucial role in determining their functionality and performance.In the current study, bone scaffolds were fabricatedusing 3D printing and polycaprolactone material with various pore shapes, including circles, hexagons, squares, and triangles. SOLIDWORKS® 2023 was used to solid model the scaffolds with various pore shapes. Compression tests and finite element analysis using ANSYS WORKBENCH® 2023 were used to assess the mechanical properties of these scaffolds. The findings show that the circular pore shape performed better than its counter parts. This study advances our knowledge of the connection between pore shape and scaffold functionality, facilitating the design of better bone scaffolds for a varied applications.