The Surface Characterisation of Fused Filament Fabricated (FFF) 3D Printed PEEK/Hydroxyapatite Composites

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) is a high-performance thermoplastic polymer which has found increasing application in orthopaedics and has shown a lot of promise for ‘made-to-measure’ implants via additive manufacturing approaches. However, PEEK is bioinert and needs to undergo surface modification to make it at least osteoconductive to ensure a more rapid, improved, and stable fixation that will last longer in vivo. One approach to solving this issue is to modify PEEK with bioactive agents such as hydroxyapatite (HA). The work reported in this study demonstrates the direct 3D printing of PEEK/HA composites of up to 30 weight percent (wt%) HA using a Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) approach. The surface characteristics and in vitro properties of the composite materials were investigated. X-ray diffraction revealed the samples to be semi-crystalline in nature, with X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry revealing HA materials were available in the uppermost surface of all the 3D printed samples. In vitro testing of the samples at 7 days demonstrated that the PEEK/HA composite surfaces supported the adherence and growth of viable U-2 OS osteoblast like cells. These results demonstrate that FFF can deliver bioactive HA on the surface of PEEK bio-composites in a one-step 3D printing process.

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A review on 3D printing in tissue engineering applications

Journal of Polymer Engineering ◽

10.1515/polyeng-2021-0059 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Mohan Prasath Mani ◽

Madeeha Sadia ◽

Saravana Kumar Jaganathan ◽

Ahmad Zahran Khudzari ◽

Eko Supriyanto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tissue Engineering ◽

Extracellular Matrix ◽

3D Printing ◽

Cell Adherence ◽

Engineering Applications ◽

Proliferation And Differentiation ◽

3D Printed ◽

Printing Techniques

Abstract In tissue engineering, 3D printing is an important tool that uses biocompatible materials, cells, and supporting components to fabricate complex 3D printed constructs. This review focuses on the cytocompatibility characteristics of 3D printed constructs, made from different synthetic and natural materials. From the overview of this article, inkjet and extrusion-based 3D printing are widely used methods for fabricating 3D printed scaffolds for tissue engineering. This review highlights that scaffold prepared by both inkjet and extrusion-based 3D printing techniques showed significant impact on cell adherence, proliferation, and differentiation as evidenced by in vitro and in vivo studies. 3D printed constructs with growth factors (FGF-2, TGF-β1, or FGF-2/TGF-β1) enhance extracellular matrix (ECM), collagen I content, and high glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content for cell growth and bone formation. Similarly, the utilization of 3D printing in other tissue engineering applications cannot be belittled. In conclusion, it would be interesting to combine different 3D printing techniques to fabricate future 3D printed constructs for several tissue engineering applications.

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Consumer vs. High-End 3D Printers for Guided Implant Surgery—An In Vitro Accuracy Assessment Study of Different 3D Printing Technologies

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10214894 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (21) ◽

pp. 4894

Author(s):

Lukas Wegmüller ◽

Florian Halbeisen ◽

Neha Sharma ◽

Sebastian Kühl ◽

Florian M. Thieringer

Keyword(s):

3D Printing ◽

Accuracy Assessment ◽

Subjective Assessment ◽

Fused Filament Fabrication ◽

Digital Light Processing ◽

Implant Surgery ◽

Surgical Guides ◽

3D Printers ◽

3D Printed

This study evaluates the accuracy of drill guides fabricated in medical-grade, biocompatible materials for static, computer-aided implant surgery (sCAIS). The virtually planned drill guides of ten completed patient cases were printed (n = 40) using professional (Material Jetting (MJ)) and consumer-level three-dimensional (3D) printing technologies, namely, Stereolithography (SLA), Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), and Digital Light Processing (DLP). After printing and post-processing, the drill guides were digitized using an optical scanner. Subsequently, the drill guide’s original (reference) data and the surface scans of the digitized 3D-printed drill guide were superimposed to evaluate their incongruencies. The accuracy of the 3D-printed drill guides was calculated by determining the root mean square (RMS) values. Additionally, cast models of the planned cases were used to check that the drill guides fitted manually. The RMS (mean ± SD) values for the accuracy of 3D-printed drill guides were—MJ (0.09 ± 0.01 mm), SLA (0.12 ± 0.02 mm), FFF (0.18 ± 0.04 mm), and DLP (0.25 ± 0.05 mm). Upon a subjective assessment, all drill guides could be mounted on the cast models without hindrance. The results revealed statistically significant differences (p < 0.01) in all except the MJ- and SLA-printed drill guides. Although the measured differences in accuracy were statistically significant, the deviations were negligible from a clinical point of view. Within the limits of this study, we conclude that consumer-level 3D printers can produce surgical guides with a similar accuracy to a high-end, professional 3D printer with reduced costs.

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Bimodal Ultrasound and X-Ray Bioimaging Properties of Particulate Calcium Fluoride Biomaterial

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26185447 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (18) ◽

pp. 5447

Author(s):

Cristhian Marcelo Chingo Aimacaña ◽

Kevin O. Pila ◽

Dilan A. Quinchiguango Perez ◽

Alexis Debut ◽

Mohamed F. Attia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽

Calcium Fluoride ◽

In Vitro Cytotoxicity ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

Face Centered Cubic ◽

X Ray ◽

Peak Broadening ◽

X Ray Imaging

Ultrasound (US) and X-ray imaging are diagnostic methods that are commonly used to image internal body structures. Several organic and inorganic imaging contrast agents are commercially available. However, their synthesis and purification remain challenging, in addition to posing safety issues. Here, we report on the promise of widespread, safe, and easy-to-produce particulate calcium fluoride (part-CaF2) as a bimodal US and X-ray contrast agent. Pure and highly crystalline part-CaF2 is obtained using a cheap commercial product. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) depicts the morphology of these particles, while energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirms their chemical composition. Diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy highlights their insulating behavior. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern reveals that part-CaF2 crystallizes in the face-centered cubic cell lattice. Further analyses regarding peak broadening are performed using the Scherrer and Williamson–Hall (W-H) methods, which pinpoint the small crystallite size and the presence of lattice strain. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) solely exhibits specific peaks related to CaF2, confirming the absence of any contamination. Additionally, in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo maximum tolerated dose (MTD) tests prove the biocompatibility of part-CaF2. Finally, the results of the US and X-ray imaging tests strongly signal that part-CaF2 could be exploited in bimodal bioimaging applications. These findings may shed a new light on calcium fluoride and the opportunities it offers in biomedical engineering.

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Vascularized Bone Regeneration Accelerated by 3D-Printed Nanosilicate-Functionalized Polycaprolactone Scaffold

Regenerative Biomaterials ◽

10.1093/rb/rbab061 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xiongcheng Xu ◽

Long Xiao ◽

Yanmei Xu ◽

Jin Zhuo ◽

Xue Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

3D Printing ◽

Bone Regeneration ◽

Bone Repair ◽

Cytokine Secretion ◽

Printing Technology ◽

3D Printing Technology ◽

3D Printed ◽

Vascularized Bone

Abstract Critical oral-maxillofacial bone defects, damaged by trauma and tumors, not only affect the physiological functions and mental health of patients but are also highly challenging to reconstruct. Personalized biomaterials customized by 3D printing technology have the potential to match oral-maxillofacial bone repair and regeneration requirements. Laponite nanosilicates have been added to biomaterials to achieve biofunctional modification owing to their excellent biocompatibility and bioactivity. Herein, porous nanosilicate-functionalized polycaprolactone (PCL/LAP) was fabricated by 3D printing technology, and its bioactivities in bone regeneration were investigated in vitro and in vivo. In vitro experiments demonstrated that PCL/LAP exhibited good cytocompatibility and enhanced the viability of BMSCs. PCL/LAP functioned to stimulate osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs at the mRNA and protein levels and elevated angiogenic gene expression and cytokine secretion. Moreover, BMSCs cultured on PCL/LAP promoted the angiogenesis potential of endothelial cells by angiogenic cytokine secretion. Then, PCL/LAP scaffolds were implanted into the calvarial defect model. Toxicological safety of PCL/LAP was confirmed, and significant enhancement of vascularized bone formation was observed. Taken together, 3D-printed PCL/LAP scaffolds with brilliant osteogenesis to enhance bone regeneration could be envisaged as an outstanding bone substitute for a promising change in oral-maxillofacial bone defect reconstruction.

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Prototype Orthopedic Bone Plates 3D Printed by Laser Melting Deposition

Materials ◽

10.3390/ma12060906 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 906 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Diana Chioibasu ◽

Alexandru Achim ◽

Camelia Popescu ◽

George Stan ◽

Iuliana Pasuk ◽

...

Keyword(s):

3D Printing ◽

Orthopedic Implants ◽

Bone Plates ◽

In Vitro Tests ◽

Elemental Distribution ◽

Laser Melting ◽

X Ray ◽

3D Printed ◽

Laser Melting Deposition

Laser melting deposition is a 3D printing method usually studied for the manufacturing of machine parts in the industry. However, for the medical sector, although feasible, applications and actual products taking advantage of this technique are only scarcely reported. Therefore, in this study, Ti6Al4V orthopedic implants in the form of plates were 3D printed by laser melting deposition. Tuning of the laser power, scanning speed and powder feed rate was conducted, in order to obtain a continuous deposition after a single laser pass and to diminish unwanted blown powder, stuck in the vicinity of the printed elements. The fabrication of bone plates is presented in detail, putting emphasis on the scanning direction, which had a decisive role in the 3D printing resolution. The printed material was investigated by optical microscopy and was found to be dense, with no visible pores or cracks. The metallographic investigations and X-ray diffraction data exposed an unusual biphasic α+β structure. The energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed a composition very similar to the one of the starting powder material. The mapping of the surface showed a uniform distribution of elements, with no segregations or areas with deficient elemental distribution. The in vitro tests performed on the 3D printed Ti6Al4V samples in osteoblast-like cell cultures up to 7 days showed that the material deposited by laser melting is cytocompatible.

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Graphene Reinforced Polyether Ether Ketone Nanocomposites for Bone Repair Applications

10.26434/chemrxiv.13289525 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Nan Jiang ◽

Peijie Tan ◽

Miaomiao He ◽

dan Sun ◽

Li Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Testing ◽

Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽

Bone Repair ◽

Early Stage ◽

Angle Measurement ◽

X Ray ◽

Polyether Ether Ketone ◽

Ether Ketone

To improve the performance of polyether ether ketone matrix (PEEK) in hard tissue repair and replacement applications, we fabricated graphene (G) reinforced PEEK with graded G concentrations (0.1%-5%) through injection molding. The mechanical properties, surface morphology, chemical composition and thermal stability of the composites have been characterized through universal mechanical testing, scanning electron microscopy, contact-angle measurement, transmission electron microscope, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis system. The biocompatibility has been assessed in vitro and the bone repair function of the composite implant have been assessed in vivo using a rabbit mandibular bone defect model. Mechanical testing results suggest that the composite samples have compressive moduli similar to that of the natural bone. Although addition of G into PEEK does not significantly influence the composite tensile, flexural or compressive moduli, it can significantly enhance the ductility and toughness of the material. On the other hand, all G-reinforced PEEK implants demonstrated enhanced adhesion and differentiation of rat bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), with 5% G-PEEK showing the highest bioactivity among all samples. The in vivo osseointegration data further revealed that 5% G-PEEK has the best effect in promoting osseointegration and bone regeneration, in both early stage and late stage bone re-growth. Study shows that our G-reinforced PEEK-based implants provides a promising strategy for enhancing the performance of future regenerative bone implants.<br>

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Plasma assisted design of biocompatible 3D printed PCL/silver nanoparticle scaffolds: in vitro and in vivo analyses

Materials Advances ◽

10.1039/d1ma00444a ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Neethu Ninan ◽

Blessy Joseph ◽

Rahul Madathiparambil Visalakshan ◽

Richard Bright ◽

Clement Denoual ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Tissue Engineering ◽

3D Printing ◽

Silver Nanoparticle ◽

Medical Treatments ◽

3D Printed

3D printing provides numerous opportunities for designing tissue engineering constructs with intricate porosity, geometry and favourable mechanical properties and has the potential to revolutionize medical treatments.

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Surface Modified β-Tricalcium Phosphate Enhanced Stem Cell Osteogenic Differentiation in Vitro and Bone Regeneration in Vivo

10.21203/rs.3.rs-130300/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Cheuk Sing Choy ◽

Wei Fang Lee ◽

Pei Ying Lin ◽

Yi-Fan Wu ◽

Haw-Ming Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Regeneration ◽

Tricalcium Phosphate ◽

Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽

Osteoblastic Differentiation ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Glow Discharge Plasma ◽

X Ray ◽

Micro Particles

Abstract In vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies had demonstrated Beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) biocompatibility, bioactivity, and osteoconductivity in bone regeneration. The present research aimed to enhance β-TCP's biocompatibility and physical and chemical properties by argon plasma surface treatment without surface modification. Treated β-TCP characterization was done by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy characterization. The viability of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and osteoblastic differentiation were determined by water-soluble tetrazolium salts-1 (WST-1), immunofluorescence, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results indicated a slight enhancement of the β-TCP by argon glow discharge plasma (GDP) sputtering, which resulted in a higher Ca/P ratio (2.05) than the control. Furthermore, when compared withcontrol β-TCP, we observed an improvement of WST-1 on all days (p < 0.05) as well as of ALP activity (day 7, p < 0.05), with up-regulation of ALP, osteocalcin, and Osteoprotegerin osteogenic genes in cells cultured with the β-TCP test. XPS and SEM analyses indicated treated β-TCP’s surface was not modified when impurities were removed. In vivo, micro-computed tomography and histomorphometric analysis indicated that the β-TCP test managed to regenerate more new bone than the β-TCP control and was able to control defects at 8 weeks (p < 0.05). Argon GDP treatment is a viable method for removing macro and micro particles of <7 μm in size from β-TCP bigger particles surfaces while improving its biocompatibility with slight surface roughness modification, enhancing hMSCs proliferation, osteoblastic differentiation, and stimulating more new bone formation.

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Platinum(IV) Complexes of trans-1,2-diamino-4-cyclohexene: Prodrugs Affording an Oxaliplatin Analogue that Overcomes Cancer Resistance

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms21072325 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (7) ◽

pp. 2325

Author(s):

Paride Papadia ◽

Katia Micoli ◽

Alessandra Barbanente ◽

Nicoletta Ditaranto ◽

James D. Hoeschele ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cyclic Voltammetry ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽

Human Cancer ◽

Cancer Resistance ◽

X Ray ◽

Human Cancer Cell Lines ◽

Reduction Potentials

Six platinum(IV) compounds derived from an oxaliplatin analogue containing the unsaturated cyclic diamine trans-1,2-diamino-4-cyclohexene (DACHEX), in place of the 1,2-diaminocyclohexane, and a range of axial ligands, were synthesized and characterized. The derivatives with at least one axial chlorido ligand demonstrated solvent-assisted photoreduction. The electrochemical redox behavior was investigated by cyclic voltammetry; all compounds showed reduction potentials suitable for activation in vivo. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) data indicated an X-ray-induced surface reduction of the Pt(IV) substrates, which correlates with the reduction potentials measured by cyclic voltammetry. The cytotoxic activity was assessed in vitro on a panel of human cancer cell lines, also including oxaliplatin-resistant cancer cells, and compared with that of the reference compounds cisplatin and oxaliplatin; all IC50 values were remarkably lower than those elicited by cisplatin and somewhat lower than those of oxaliplatin. Compared to the other Pt(IV) compounds of the series, the bis-benzoate derivative was by far (5–8 times) the most cytotoxic showing that low reduction potential and high lipophilicity are essential for good cytotoxicity. Interestingly, all the complexes proved to be more active than cisplatin and oxaliplatin even in three-dimensional spheroids of A431 human cervical cancer cells.

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Green Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex-based carbon dots for ameliorating imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like inflammation in mice

Journal of Nanobiotechnology ◽

10.1186/s12951-021-00847-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Meiling Zhang ◽

Jinjun Cheng ◽

Jie Hu ◽

Juan Luo ◽

Yue Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Photoelectron Spectroscopy ◽

Carbon Dots ◽

Severity Index ◽

X Ray ◽

M2 Polarization ◽

M1 Polarization ◽

Calcination Method ◽

Chemical Groups

Abstract Background Carbon dots (CDs) with multifaceted advantages have provided hope for development brand-new nanodrug for treating thorny diseases. This study developed a green and simple calcination method to prepare novel CDs as promising drug for psoriasis treatment. The as-prepared CDs using Phellodendri Chinensis Cortex (PCC) as sole precursor were characterized by a series of methods, mainly including electron microscopy, optical technology and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results Results displayed that fluorescence (Quantum yield = 5.63%) and nontoxic PCC-based CDs (PCC-CDs) with abundant chemical groups exhibited solubility and tiny sizes at average of (1.93 ± 0.53) nm, which may be beneficial for its inherent biological activity. Moreover, by using the typical imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like skin mouse model, we firstly demonstrated the pronounced anti-psoriasis activity of as-prepared PCC-CDs on ameliorating the appearance, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) scores as well as histopathological morphology of both back skin tissues and right ears in IMQ-induced mouse. Further potential mechanisms behind the anti-psoriasis activities may be related to suppress M1 polarization and relatively promote M2 polarization of macrophage both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion These results suggested that PCC-CDs have potential to be an anti-psoriasis candidate for clinical applications to treat psoriasis, which not only provided an evidence for further broadening the biological application of CDs, but also provided a potential hope for application nanodrugs to treat thorny diseases. Graphic Abstract

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