Promotion of tendon growth into implant through pore-size design of a Ti-6Al-4 V porous scaffold prepared by 3D printing. (1st January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zheng, Yuhao; Han, Qing; Li, Dongdong; Sheng, Fan; Song, Zhiming; Wang, Jincheng
• Is Part Of: Materials & design. Volume 197(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-01-01
• Subjects: Tendon ingrowth -- Selective laser melting -- Three-dimensional printing -- Titanium alloy -- Pore size -- Porous scaffold; Materials -- Periodicals; Engineering design -- Periodicals; Matériaux -- Périodiques; Conception technique -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matdes.2020.109219
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-1275

Abstract

Abstract: At present, no suitable method exists for tendon fixation after artificial prosthetic implantation. Researching and determining the optimal factors for biological fixation between the tendon and prosthesis is the crux for restoring limb function. In order to increase the growth of tendon fibers into the scaffold and reduce the formation of cicatricial tissue, selective laser melting (SLM) three-dimensional (3D) printing was used to prepare four types of cylindrical scaffold. The actual pore sizes of cuboids, which were used as the monomers, were 657.65, 527.15, 348.68, and 169.20 μm. Cell experiments showed that the greatest number of fibroblasts became adhered to and grew into the scaffold with an actual pore size of 527.15 μm. Each group of scaffolds was surgically implanted into a rabbit model of acute injury to the supraspinatus tendon. Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and hard tissue section staining were used to analyze the growth of tendon tissue in each group. We concluded that 527.15 μm is the best pore size for a titanium alloy surface to promote tendon ingrowth. The current study provides a reference for the clinical design of the pore size of tendon attachments onto the surfaces of tumor prostheses. Graphical abstract: Unlabelled Image Highlights: New firmly fixed scaffolds suitable for animal tendons to grow into the titanium alloy were designed. The difference of tendon growth into the scaffolds was investigated by Micro-CT and tissue section staining. Group P700 was the most suitable scaffold for tendon ingrowth with minimal scar connection and the highest tensile strength.