Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
with the scaffold. This review assesses these limitations, along
with the utilities of each method and the effect these have on the
ability to create an effective bone tissue engineering polymeric
scaffold using SFF.
25.1 Introduction
Tissue engineering approaches provide a promising alternative
treatment of bone injuries, and with advances in the field of scaf-
fold manufacture through SFF, bone tissue engineering is closer
to becoming a viable clinical option. This chapter will overview
common SFF techniques but will focus on evaluating the biological
implications of each individual process. The biological implications,
referring to growth, proliferation, differentiation, and signaling of
cells seeded on or growing into the scaffold, are influenced by the
surfaceroughness,porosity,poresize,andmaterialpropertiesofthe
scaffold.SFFtechniquesareabletobeusedtomanufacturescaffolds
tosuccessfullyincorporatethesefactorstovaryingdegrees,butalso
have restrictions incurred through the mechanical process. 1 , 2 SFF
techniques have been used to fabricate 3D bone tissue engineering
scaffolds from materials commonly used in tissue engineering, such
as poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF), poly( D , L -lactic-co-glycolic acid)
(PLGA), and polycaprolactone (PCL). 3 - 8 Optimizing SFF techniques
would greatly improve the clinical viability of bone tissue engineer-
ing techniques as these scaffolds could be readily and quickly made
to bebothreproducible and customizableto a defect.
25.1.1 The Need for Bone Tissue Engineering
Every year over six million bone injuries occur in the United
States and approximately one million bone-grafting procedures are
performed. 9 The source of bone for these grafts is either from the
patient's own body in the case of an autograft or from a cadaver in
the case of an allograft. Unfortunately both of these methods have
significant disadvantages. The incidence of medical complications
arising after surgery involving an autograft from the iliac crest are
nearly 30%, as pain and morbidity at the donor site often occurs. 10
 
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