Study of Compressive Strength and Water Absorption in 3D Printed PLA Scaffolds  for Bone Regeneration

Joanne Graziela Andrade Mendes; Henrique Cesar Santos de Jesus; Alice Bispo dos Santos; Melissa de Souza Gomes dos Santos; Nilmar de Souza; Willams Teles Barbosa; Josiane Dantas Viana; Imarally Vitor de Souza Ribeiro Nascimento

doi:10.34178/jbth.v9i1.560

Joanne Graziela Andrade Mendes
Henrique Cesar Santos de Jesus
Alice Bispo dos Santos
Melissa de Souza Gomes dos Santos
Nilmar de Souza
Willams Teles Barbosa
Josiane Dantas Viana
Imarally Vitor de Souza Ribeiro Nascimento

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34178/jbth.v9i1.560

Keywords: Tissue Engineering, Bone Regeneration, Scaffolds, FDM

Abstract

This work investigates the use of polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds manufactured by 3D printing (FDM) for bone tissue engineering, in order to overcome the limitations of treatments for bone defects. The aim was to evaluate the influence of different extrusion temperatures (180°C and 200°C) and filling rates (40%, 60% and 80%) on the water absorption and compressive strength of the structures. For this purpose, PLA scaffolds were printed and subjected to water absorption (ASTM D570) and compressive strength tests (ASTM D695-10). The results showed a clear inverse correlation between the properties: increasing the filler increased the mechanical strength but reduced the water absorption capacity. Scaffolds with 40% filler showed the highest absorption (up to 90.48%), while those with 80% exhibited the highest strength and lowest absorption (10.69%). The temperature of 200°C promoted a slight increase in mechanical strength due to better fusion between the layers. It is concluded that adjusting the printing parameters allows the properties of scaffolds to be modulated, balancing mechanical support and functional porosity to optimize performance in specific biomedical applications.