Fabrication of metallic biomedical scaffolds with the space holder method: A review

Fabrication of metallic biomedical scaffolds with the space holder method: A review

Arifvianto, B.
Zhou, J.

Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

Biomechanical Engineering

2014-05-06

Bone tissue engineering has been increasingly studied as an alternative approach to bone defect reconstruction. In this approach, new bone cells are stimulated to grow and heal the defect with the aid of a scaffold that serves as a medium for bone cell formation and growth. Scaffolds made of metallic materials have preferably been chosen for bone tissue engineering applications where load-bearing capacities are required, considering the superior mechanical properties possessed by this type of materials to those of polymeric and ceramic materials. The space holder method has been recognized as one of the viable methods for the fabrication of metallic biomedical scaffolds. In this method, temporary powder particles, namely space holder, are devised as a pore former for scaffolds. In general, the whole scaffold fabrication process with the space holder method can be divided into four main steps: (i) mixing of metal matrix powder and space-holding particles; (ii) compaction of granular materials; (iii) removal of space-holding particles; (iv) sintering of porous scaffold preform. In this review, detailed procedures in each of these steps are presented. Technical challenges encountered during scaffold fabrication with this specific method are addressed. In conclusion, strategies are yet to be developed to address problematic issues raised, such as powder segregation, pore inhomogeneity, distortion of pore sizes and shape, uncontrolled shrinkage and contamination.

tissue engineering
scaffold
space holder method
powder metallurgy
titanium

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:25897a06-bb52-4adc-b015-a0b6c80ab3d2

https://doi.org/10.3390/ma7053588

MDPI

1996-1944

http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/7/5/3588

Materials, 7 (5), 2014

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2014 The Author(s)
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).