Development of a bone scaffold using HA nanopowder and micro-stereolithography technology

Abstract

A novel approach to manufacturing biocompatible ceramic scaffolds for tissue engineering using a micro-stereolithography system is introduced. Micro-stereolithography is a new technology that enables the manufacture of three-dimensional (3D) microstructures with complex, accurate shapes within an error of a few microns. Tissue-engineering may be a potential alternative for treating patients with serious bone defects, and many techniques for designing and fabricating 3D scaffolds have been developed. Nevertheless, scaffold imperfections, such as random pore size and porosity, limit the development of optimum scaffolds. Therefore, scaffold production with a controllable pore size and a fully interconnected shape is needed. This paper introduces and describes a bone scaffold that applies micro-stereolithography to mold technology. The scaffold material used was hydroxyapatite (HA) nanopowder. In the near future, bone scaffolds made from HA should become effective therapy for bone defects. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.