3D printed β-tricalcium phosphate versus synthetic bone mineral scaffolds: A comparative in vitro study of biocompatibility

BACKGROUND: β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) has been successfully utilized as a 3D printed ceramic scaffold in the repair of non-healing bone defects; however, it requires the addition of growth factors to augment its regenerative capacity. Synthetic bone mineral (SBM) is a novel and extrudable carbonate hydroxyapatite with ionic substitutions known to facilitate bone healing. However, its efficacy as a 3D printed scaffold for hard tissue defect repair has not been explored. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the biocompatibility and cell viability of human osteoprecursor (hOP) cells seeded on 3D printed SBM scaffolds via in vitro analysis. METHODS: SBM and β-TCP scaffolds were fabricated via 3D printing and sintered at various temperatures. Scaffolds were then subject to qualitative cytotoxicity testing and cell proliferation experiments utilizing (hOP) cells. RESULTS: SBM scaffolds sintered at lower temperatures (600 °C and 700 °C) induced greater levels of acute cellular stress. At higher sintering temperatures (1100 °C), SBM scaffolds showed inferior cellular viability relative to β-TCP scaffolds sintered to the same temperature (1100 °C). However, qualitative analysis suggested that β-TCP presented no evidence of morphological change, while SBM 1100 °C showed few instances of acute cellular stress. CONCLUSION: Results demonstrate SBM may be a promising alternative to β-TCP for potential applications in bone tissue engineering.