Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 12, 2025
3D Planning and Printing of Patient Specific Implants for Reconstruction of Bony Defects
Published on: August 4, 2020
Prefabricated 3D-Printed Tissue-Engineered Bone for Mandibular Reconstruction: A Preclinical Translational Study in
Shuai-Shuai Cao1, Shu-Yi Li1,2, Yuan-Ming Geng3
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Research of Oral Regenerative Medicine, Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510182, China.
Abstract:
The advent of three dimensionally (3D) printed customized bone grafts using different biomaterials has enabled repairs of complex bone defects in various in vivo models. However, studies related to their clinical translations are truly limited. Herein, 3D printed poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/β-tricalcium phosphate (PLGA/TCP) and TCP scaffolds with or without recombinant bone morphogenetic protein -2 (rhBMP-2) coating were utilized to repair primate's large-volume mandibular defects and compared efficacy of prefabricated tissue-engineered bone (PTEB) over direct implantation (without prefabrication). 18F-FDG PET/CT was explored for real-time monitoring of bone regeneration and vascularization. After 3-month's prefabrication, the original 3D-architecture of the PLGA/TCP-BMP scaffold was found to be completely lost, while it was properly maintained in TCP-BMP scaffolds. Besides, there was a remarkable decrease in the PLGA/TCP-BMP scaffold density and increase in TCP-BMP scaffolds density during ectopic (within latissimus dorsi muscle) and orthotopic (within mandibular defect) implantation, indicating regular bone formation with TCP-BMP scaffolds. Notably, PTEB based on TCP-BMP scaffold was successfully fabricated with pronounced effects on bone regeneration and vascularization based on radiographic, 18F-FDG PET/CT, and histological evaluation, suggesting a promising approach toward clinical translation.
