Computational study promoting engineering biomaterial pre-design to well adapt pores distribution on bone/scaffold assembly section

• Published in: Computer methods in applied mechanics and engineering 2024-05, Vol.425, p.116934, Article 116934
• Main Authors: Boucetta, Abdelkader, Ramtani, Salah, Garzón-Alvarado, Diego A., Spadavecchia, Jolanda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomaterial scaffold; Flow efficiency; Microarchitecture; Nanoparticle (NP); Osteointegration
• ISSN: 0045-7825; 1879-2138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cma.2024.116934

When bio-grafts are used in bone healing, interstitial fluid flow (IFF) plays a critical role in both, enhancing bone remodeling and promoting scaffold degradation. Through this enhancement, the fluid will be spread within the network through cells lacuna in equilibrium way promoting osteocytes efficiency, growth factor, and paracrine signaling. The complete adaptation of both microarchitecture bone and scaffold in the transition zone is not possible (No technology of micro-manufacturing is available). However, in our model, the initial bone architecture was extracted from micro-CT. We determine then the dominant flow characteristics (flow magnitude, pressure, orientation, and the carried electrical potential) at the transition zone between native tissue and scaffold. We identify the area where we may have many governing flows escaping from bone not matching with scaffold opening pores. We identify as well, the locations of scaffold pores which do not coincide with enough open lacuna in native tissue, compromising the adequate fluid exchange during osteointegration. By identifying regions of low osteogenesis, we provide a customized pores architecture enhancing flow permeability, driving to spread the fluid energy and the streaming generated potential (SGP) to be in adequate locations. The model may be applied also to evaluate the support for cells migration, cells efficiency, proliferation, differentiation, and growth factors spread. We may promote the exchange of nano particles (NP) as well for carrying anti-microbial properties. However, the scaffold can be designed to promote osteogenesis through the transition region. Results, permit a customized bio-graft design, increasing the options of scaffold architectures with customized pores (position, concentration, and size). The proposed idea, prevent also compromising assembly mechanical stability. [Display omitted]