Elasticity in Porous 3D-Printed Polylactic Acid Scaffolds for Biomedical Applications: A Predictive Approach

Additive manufacturing (AM) is rapidly advancing, particularly in biomedical applications, necessitating a deeper understanding of the mechanical behavior of 3D-printed materials. Structures created using fused deposition modeling (FDM) exhibit anisotropic properties due to fabrication inhomogeneity and material architecture. Finite element modeling (FEM) is commonly used to predict mechanical behavior, though studies on porous structures have not deeply investigated the influence of geometrical features on global mechanical behavior. This study aimed to correlate the mechanical properties of porous polylactic acid scaffolds with different patterns and infill densities, fabricated via AM through the synergies of experimental and computational approaches. Tensile testing and FEM simulations were conducted, revealing differences in elastic modulus and tensile strength based on infill orientation. A sensitivity analysis on the main geometrical features assessed variations in filament dimensions and layer spacing. FEM simulations showed strong agreement with experimental data, validating their predictive capability, with deviations due to minor structural defects and irregularities in the extruded filaments. This study established for the first time the influence of geometrical details on the elastic properties of porous scaffolds, opening up to new tailored design for, but not limited to, biomedical applications.