3D Printed Silicone Meniscus Implants: Influence of the 3D Printing Process on Properties of Silicone Implants.
Eric LuisHouwen Matthew PanAnil Kumar BastolaRam Chandra BajpaiSwee Leong SingJuha SongWai Yee YeongPublished in: Polymers (2020)
Osteoarthritis of the knee with meniscal pathologies is a severe meniscal pathology suffered by the aging population worldwide. However, conventional meniscal substitutes are not 3D-printable and lack the customizability of 3D printed implants and are not mechanically robust enough for human implantation. Similarly, 3D printed hydrogel scaffolds suffer from drawbacks of being mechanically weak and as a result patients are unable to execute immediate post-surgical weight-bearing ambulation and rehabilitation. To solve this problem, we have developed a 3D silicone meniscus implant which is (1) cytocompatible, (2) resistant to cyclic loading and mechanically similar to native meniscus, and (3) directly 3D printable. The main focus of this study is to determine whether the purity, composition, structure, dimensions and mechanical properties of silicone implants are affected by the use of a custom-made in-house 3D-printer. We have used the phosphate buffer saline (PBS) absorption test, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, surface profilometry, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to effectively assess and compare material properties between molded and 3D printed silicone samples.
Keyphrases
- electron microscopy
- anterior cruciate ligament
- anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
- high resolution
- soft tissue
- end stage renal disease
- endothelial cells
- newly diagnosed
- ejection fraction
- single molecule
- chronic kidney disease
- physical activity
- body mass index
- knee osteoarthritis
- total knee arthroplasty
- peritoneal dialysis
- rheumatoid arthritis
- drug delivery
- prognostic factors
- weight loss
- patient reported
- pluripotent stem cells
- body weight
- dual energy