3D printed Polylactid Acid based porous scaffold for bone tissue engineering: an in vitro study

The objective of this study was to fabricate PLA-based porous scaffold by 3D printing technology and to evaluate their cytotoxicity and biocompatibility under in vitro conditions in respect to bone tissue engineering.

Pure PLA in filamentous form was processed via 3D printing technology of fused filament fabrication into porous scaffolds. The structure and porosity of scaffolds were measured by metrotomography. PLA scaffolds were pre-treated by human serum, foetal bovine serum and complete cell culture medium to enhance bio-attractivity of the scaffold's surface for the adherence of the cells. Cells were enzymatically isolated from the periosteum of the proximal tibia and then expanded in monolayer. Periosteum-derived osteoprogenitors (PDOs) were seeded on the pre-treated PLA scaffolds and subsequent cell proliferation was measured by commercially available cell proliferation assay. Adherence of PDOs on the PLA scaffold was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Prepared scaffolds had well-defined structure and were characterized by uniform distribution of pores. They were non-toxic and biocompatible with PDOs, however, PLA scaffold with the periosteum-derived progenitor cells was significantly better in the group of scaffolds pre-treated with normal human serum.

The obtained PLA porous scaffolds favored attachment of periosteum derived progenitors and proliferation, furthermore, cells penetrated into the scaffold through the interstitial pores which was meaningful for cytocompatibility evaluation.