Influence of technological manufacturing conditions on the porosity of calcium-phosphate scaffolds

Abstract

The implantation of bone substitutes depends on the material’s osteoconductive potential and the structure's porosity Porosity is a characteristic feature of most materials. The porosity of materials has a strong influence on some of their properties, both structural and functional. An essential requirement for bone scaffolds is porosity, which guides cells into their physical structure and supports vascularization. The macroporosity should be large enough and interdependent for bone ingrowth to occur throughout the entire volume of the implant. The pore size for cell colonization in bioceramics is approximately 100 μm. Pores larger than this value promote bone growth through the material. This pore size allows the flow of growth factors and cell adhesion and proliferation, allowing the formation of new bone and developing the capillary system associated with the ceramic implant. Porosity also affects the rate of resorption of ceramics: the larger the number of micropores, the higher the dissolution rate. The investigated properties were elastic moduli, ultimate strength, compressive strength, and average apparent density. The results obtained in this work are consistent with previous studies, proving the positive role of microporosity in osseointegration and bone formation.