In Vitro and In Vivo Analysis of the Effects of 3D-Printed Porous Titanium Alloy Scaffold Structure on Osteogenic Activity

The effect of titanium scaffold geometry on the bone regeneration ability of the scaffold remains unclear. Here, selective laser melting as a 3D printing technology was used to create porous titanium alloy scaffolds with two unit structures: a hollow hexagonal prism (group A) and a hollow triangular prism (group B). The structures and morphologies of the scaffolds were characterized before mechanical properties were simulated. Cell adhesion behaviors, osteoblast activity and proliferation, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were evaluated, in addition to in vivo testing in an animal model. The results showed that the two scaffolds made of Ti6Al4V had compression moduli similar to that of human cortical bone (116.91 ± 0.01 and 174.29 ± 2.21 MPa vs. 89–164 MPa). The two scaffolds were nontoxic to cells and had good biocompatibility, while group A scaffolds facilitated cell adhesion. The number of cells increased gradually in culture. The ALP activity of cells on group A scaffolds demonstrated higher osteogenic ability than that of group B scaffolds. The in vivo tests showed that all scaffolds retained their shape well after implantation, and no obvious inflammatory reaction or infection in surrounding tissues was found. Based on fluorescence staining, mature new bone formation was found at week 12. Group A scaffolds showed better bone integration ability compared with group B scaffolds. The percentage of new bone area in group A (7.5%) was higher than that in group B (6.5%). This research suggests that the hollow hexagonal prism structure of porous scaffolds can promote osteogenic differentiation and osseointegration better than the triangular prism structure.