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Updated: May 28, 2026
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Biological Compatibility Profile on Biomaterials for Bone Regeneration
Published on: November 16, 2018
Optimal Selection of Biodegradable Polymer Composites for Load-Bearing Bone Tissue Engineering: A Hybrid Fuzzy
Lafi Hamidat1, Dilber Uzun Ozsahin2,3,4, Berna Uzun4
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Near East University, TRNC, Mersin 10, Nicosia 99138, Turkey.
Journal of Functional Biomaterials
|May 26, 2026
Summary
Selecting biodegradable scaffolds for bone tissue engineering (BTE) is complex. A hybrid Fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS approach identified PLA/Hydroxyapatite (PLA/HA) as the optimal composite for load-bearing bone repair due to its balanced properties.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Computational Materials Science
Background:
- Developing load-bearing bone tissue engineering (BTE) scaffolds requires balancing conflicting criteria like mechanical strength, biological integration, and degradation.
- Existing composite materials often excel in one area while compromising others, necessitating advanced selection methodologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a robust framework for evaluating and ranking biodegradable polymer-ceramic composites for load-bearing BTE applications.
- To identify the optimal composite material that best balances mechanical performance, osteoconductivity, and degradation kinetics.
Main Methods:
- A hybrid Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process-Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (Fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS) framework was developed.
- Quantitative data from ten peer-reviewed studies (2021-2025) were systematically extracted and converted into Triangular Fuzzy Numbers (TFNs) to account for inter-study variability.
- Fuzzy AHP determined the weights of decision criteria, with Compressive Strength and Cell Viability identified as dominant for cortical bone repair.
Main Results:
- The Fuzzy TOPSIS ranking identified PLA/Hydroxyapatite (PLA/HA) as the optimal composite (Closeness Coefficient, CCᵢ = 0.677), exhibiting superior multi-criteria balance.
- PLA/Carbon Nanotubes (PLA/CNT) showed high mechanical strength but was ranked lower due to osteoconductivity and cytotoxicity concerns.
- Sensitivity analysis confirmed PLA/HA's robustness across various weighting scenarios.
Conclusions:
- The hybrid Fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS framework provides a validated computational blueprint for evidence-based scaffold material selection in BTE.
- PLA/HA demonstrates significant potential as a superior composite for load-bearing cortical bone repair applications.
- This approach can reduce costly trial-and-error experimentation in scaffold development.
