Tissue scaffold architecture affects implant degradation and bone tissue regeneration: A novel in silico mechanobiological model analysing cell behavior, mechanical stress and degradation kinematics
Abstract
Synthetic bone tissue scaffold function is controlled by both material and architecture. Experimental biomaterial approaches have brought significant advances in scaffold function, but scaffold architecture has not been fully explored. There are many scaffold architecture design options which could be more efficiently evaluated using computational methods. The aim of this study is to introduce a novel mechanobiological computational model to assess the effect of implant degradation, bone formation, and the influence of bone loading. A finite element model of a synthetic bone tissue scaffold within a rat bone defect supported by a fixation plate was coupled with an agent-based cell and degradation model (both bulk and surface degradation). The approach was partially validated using in vivo experimental mass-loss data and tested in a case study examining four poly-L-lactic acid tissue scaffolds with varying architectures. The model was run for 90 days to calculate results on cell behaviour, tissue formation and scaffold degradation. The results showed that scaffold architecture strongly influences degradation and cellular behaviour, with a filament thickness of 0.6 mm yielding 39 mm³ of new bone formation compared to 18 mm³ in a filament thickness of 0.2 mm, representing an approximate 117% increase at day 90. Cell migration was increased in higher porosity scaffold architectures by 31% when changing from 20.9% (T4) to 54.7% (T1) porosity. The mechanobiological computational…
Read the paper
Related studies
- Irisin Enhances Osteoblast DifferentiationIn Vitro
- Glucocorticoids suppress Wnt16 expression in osteoblasts in vitro and in vivo
- Interaction between Schwann Cells and Osteoblasts In Vitro
- Administration of cinnamaldehyde promotes osteogenesis in ovariectomized rats and differentiation of osteoblast in vitro
- The Effect of the Major Components of Fructus Cnidii on Osteoblasts In Vitro
- Estrogen depletion alters osteogenic differentiation and matrix production by osteoblasts in vitro
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.