Magnesium surface-activated 3D printed porous PEEK scaffolds for in vivo osseointegration by promoting angiogenesis and osteogenesis

Polyetheretherketone(PEEK)has been an alternative material for titanium in bone defect repair,but its clinical application is limited by its poor osseointegration.In this study,a porous structural design and activated surface modification were used to enhance the osseointegration capacity of PEEK materials.Porous PEEK scaffolds were manufactured via fused deposition modeling and a polydopamine(PDA)coating chelated with magnesium ions(Mg^(2+))was utilized on the surface.After surface modification,the hydrophilicity of PEEK scaffolds was significantly enhanced,and bioactive Mg^(2+)could be released.In vitro results showed that the activated surface could promote cell proliferation and adhesion and contribute to osteoblast differentiation and mineralization;the released Mg^(2+)promoted angiogenesis and might contribute to the formation of osteogenic H-type vessels.Furthermore,porous PEEK scaffolds were implanted in rabbit femoral condyles for in vivo evaluation of osseointegration.The results showed that the customized three-dimensional porous structure facilitated vascular ingrowth and bone ingrowth within the PEEK scaffolds.The PDA coating enhanced the interfacial osseointegration of porous PEEK scaffolds and the released Mg^(2+)accelerated early bone ingrowth by promoting early angiogenesis during the coating degradation process.This study provides an efficient solution for enhancing the osseointegration of PEEK materials,which has high potential for translational clinical applications.

Dynamic degradation patterns of porous polycaprolactone/β-tricalcium phosphate composites orchestrate macrophage responses and immunoregulatory bone regeneration

Biodegradable polycaprolactone/β-tricalcium phosphate(PT)composites are desirable candidates for bone tissue engineering applications.A higherβ-tricalcium phosphate(TCP)ceramic content improves the mechanical,hydrophilic and osteogenic properties of PT scaffolds in vitro.Using a dynamic degradation reactor,we estab-lished a steady in vitro degradation model to investigate the changes in the physio-chemical and biological properties of PT scaffolds during degradation.PT46 and PT37 scaffolds underwent degradation more rapidly than PT scaffolds with lower TCP contents.In vivo studies revealed the rapid degradation of PT(PT46 and PT37)scaffolds disturbed macrophage responses and lead to bone healing failure.Macrophage co-culture assays and a subcutaneous implantation model indicated that the scaffold degradation process dynamically affected macro-phage responses,especially polarization.RNA-Seq analysis indicated phagocytosis of the degradation products of PT37 scaffolds induces oxidative stress and inflammatory M1 polarization in macrophages.Overall,this study reveals that the dynamic patterns of biodegradation of degradable bone scaffolds highly orchestrate immune responses and thus determine the success of bone regeneration.Therefore,through evaluation of the biological effects of biomaterials during the entire process of degradation on immune responses and bone regeneration are necessary in order to develop more promising biomaterials for bone regeneration.