3D printing of bioglass-reinforced β-TCP porous bioceramic scaffolds

The use of bioglass (BG) has been proved to be an effective strategy for reducing the sintering temperature and improving the degradability of bioceramics. In this work, a Na2O–CaO–MgO–P2O5 bioglass with a low melting temperature and an average particle size of 1.3 μm and crystalline β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) with an average particle size of 600 nm were first prepared separately. 3D printing was then used to fabricate the β-TCP/BG composite porous ceramic scaffolds. The Na2O–CaO–MgO–P2O5 bioglass-reinforced β-TCP porous ceramic scaffolds demonstrated a significant enhancement in their mechanical properties, degradability and biocompatibility compared with pure β-TCP ceramics. The results showed that the compressive strength and elastic modulus of the reinforced β-TCP ceramic scaffold were 8.34 MPa and 208.5 MPa, respectively, and the degradation rate of the β-TCP porous ceramic scaffolds increased by a factor of 2.99. In addition, the optimized scaffold distinctly promoted MC3T3-E1 osteoblast cell proliferation. Na2O–CaO–MgO–P2O5 bioglass-reinforced β-TCP porous ceramic scaffold has great potential for application in bone regeneration.