3D-Printed Titanium Implants with Bioactive Peptide-Polysaccharide Scaffolds for Personalized Bone Reconstruction

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Orthopedic Surgery

Background:

• Large bone defects pose significant clinical challenges, often requiring implants.
• Standard titanium implants, while strong, exhibit poor osseointegration due to bioinert surfaces.
• 3D-printed titanium offers patient-specific designs but lacks sufficient bioactivity for core bone integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a bioactive, cell-free strategy to enhance osseointegration in porous titanium implants.
• To evaluate the efficacy of a peptide-hyaluronic acid scaffold integrated with titanium implants in a bone defect model.

Main Methods:

• Integration of porous titanium implants with a nanofibrillar peptide-hyaluronic acid scaffold (hydrogel or lyophilized).
• In vitro assessment of scaffold enzymatic stability and osteoblast adhesion.
• In vivo evaluation in a rabbit calvarial critical-size bone defect model.

Main Results:

• Scaffold integration significantly improved bone-implant contact and inner bone volume compared to controls.
• Hydrogel-integrated implants nearly doubled inner bone volume and enhanced trabecular architecture.
• Histology confirmed reduced inflammation and enhanced bone regeneration with the bioactive scaffold.

Conclusions:

• A cell-free, growth-factor-free strategy combining titanium implants with ECM-mimicking scaffolds promotes robust bone regeneration.
• This approach offers a translatable pathway for patient-specific skeletal repair by enhancing osseointegration.
• The peptide-hyaluronic acid scaffold effectively bridges the gap between structural implant properties and biological bone healing needs.