Borate Bioactive Glass Scaffolds Made by the Selective Laser Sintering Process

The pore geometry of bone scaffolds, intended for use in bone repair or replacement, is one of the most important parameters in bone tissue engineering. It affects not only the mechanical properties of the scaffolds but also the amount of bone regeneration after implantation. Scaffolds with five different architectures and four porosity levels were fabricated using borate bioactive glass (13–93B3) using the selective laser sintering (SLS) process. The pore size of the scaffolds varied from 400 to 1300 μm. The compressive strength of the scaffolds varied from 1.7 to 15.5 MPa for porosities ranging from 60 to 30%, respectively, for the different architectures. Scaffolds were soaked in a simulated body fluid (SBF) for one week, followed by measurements in the variation in mechanical properties and the amount of bioactive glass surface conversion. In-vitro tests were conducted on the scaffolds with different architectures to investigate the preferential cell proliferation. The MTT labeling experiments were conducted on the scaffolds and the MTT formazan was extracted at intervals of 2, 4, and 6 days. The results indicated that the scaffolds which mimic trabecular bone architecture have higher cell proliferation compared to those with traditional lattice structures.