Three-Dimensional-Printed Flexible Scaffolds Have Tunable Biomimetic Mechanical Properties for Intervertebral Disc Tissue Engineering.

ABSTRACT: The intervertebral disc (IVD) exhibits complex structure and biomechanical function, which supports the weight of the body and permits motion. Surgical treatments for IVD degeneration (e.g., lumbar fusion, disc replacement) often disrupt the mechanical environment of the spine which lead to adjacent segment disease. Alternatively, disc tissue engineering strategies, where cell-seeded hydrogels or fibrous biomaterials are cultured in vitro to promote matrix deposition, do not recapitulate the complex IVD mechanical properties. In this study, we use 3D printing of flexible polylactic acid (FPLA) to fabricate a viscoelastic scaffold with tunable biomimetic mechanics for whole spine motion segment applications. We optimized the mechanical properties of the scaffolds for equilibrium and

SUBMITTER: Marshall SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9392892 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature