Robocasting of 45S5 bioactive glass scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Three dimensional scaffolds with controlled pore architecture were prepared from 45S5 Bioglass® powders by robocasting (direct-writing) using carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as the single processing additive. A comprehensive sintering study of the resulting structures was performed within the temperature range 500–1050 °C. Robocast scaffolds with interconnected porosities ranging from 60 to 80% were obtained for a fixed scaffold design. All scaffolds exhibited compressive strengths comparable to that of cancellous bone (2–13 MPa), including those sintered at temperatures below the crystallization temperature of 45S5 bioactive glass. These strength values are substantially higher than any previously reported data for 45S5 Bioglass® scaffolds and imply that robocasting is the first technique which can be considered suitable for producing vitreous 45S5 scaffolds with a sufficient mechanical integrity for any practical application. Moreover, this process will enable the development of 45S5 Bioglass® scaffolds with customized external geometry, and optimized pore architecture.