(28m) Customized Biodegradable 3D-Printed Bone Grafts with Biomimetic Porosity

The incidents of bone diseases and injuries are increasing worldwide each year owing to unhealthy lifestyles, poor physical activities, and obesity. In 2021 the global orthopedic implants market size was valued at USD 41.20 billion. The market size is projected to grow to USD 43.14 billion and will grow to USD 60.90 billion by 2029. The gold standards for treating bone defects are autografts, allografts, and xenografts which have shortcomings such as two surgeries leading to increased morbidity, limited supply, adverse immunogenic response, and the possibility of disease transmission. An alternative to these bone grafts is a synthetic bone scaffold. We have developed a customized 3D-printed scaffold with biomimetic porosity which is patient-specific. The defect is first isolated through CT imaging and based on it a CAD model is generated which is then 3D printed which is a perfect fit to the defect. The scaffolds are 3D printed with polycaprolactone which is an FDA-approved biodegradable polymer. The 3D-printed scaffolds are then gel-functionalized to make them osteoconductive. The gel-coated scaffolds show excellent performance in vitro when tested with SaOS2 cells and are now being tested in vivo in a rabbit model. A critical size segmental defect is created in the rabbit tibia, the scaffold is implanted and the animal is observed for 6 months. Based on the initial results of the preclinical trial, it can be concluded that the bone defects implanted with the customized 3D-printed grafts are getting healed without any side effects.