Bone response inside free-form fabricated macroporous hydroxyapatite scaffolds with and without an open microporosity

The technique of free-form fabrication enables the production of controlled macroporous geometry inside ceramic scaffolds. Using scaffolds with identical macropore design makes it possible to study a relevant biological response linked to other specific changes of the material.

This study investigates the role of open micropores in hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffold during early bone healing to quantitatively ascertain whether microporosity in otherwise identical macroporous HA scaffolds can influence the bone response in rabbit tibia and femur at 6 weeks.

HA scaffolds (Ø: 3.8 mm) with and without microporosity were randomly installed in both cortical and trabecular bone sites of New Zealand White rabbits. The animals were sacrificed 6 weeks after surgery. Ground sections obtained from en bloc tissues containing scaffold and recipient bone were subjected to histological evaluation and histomorphometric analysis.

Microscopy showed elevated amounts of bone ingrowth and bone contact inside the microporous HA (mHA) group as compared with non-mHA.

The current study indicates that the presence of open scaffold microporosity in HA, as determined by the fabrication process, enhances the ability of ceramic scaffolds to promote bone ingrowth and bone contact.