Low-Temperature Printed Hierarchically Porous Induced-Biomineralization Polyaryletherketone Scaffold for Bone Tissue Engineering

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) as a popular orthopaedic implant is usually fabricated into a hierarchically porous structure for improving osteogenic activity. However, the applications are limited due to the excessively high processing temperature and uncontrollably tedious modification routes. Here, an amorphous polyaryletherketone with carboxyl groups (PAEK-COOH) is synthesized and fabricated to the hierarchically controllable porous scaffolds via a low-temperature 3D-printing process. The prepared PAEK-COOH scaffolds present controllable porous structures ranging from nano- to micro-scale, and their mechanical strengths are comparable to that of trabecular bone. More importantly, the in vitro experiments show that the nanoporous surface is conducive to promoting cellular adhesion, and carboxyl groups can induce hydroxyapatite mineralization via electrostatic interaction. The in vivo experiments demonstrate that the PAEK-COOH scaffolds offer much better osseointegration without additional active ingredients, compared to that of PEEK. Therefore, this work will not only develop a promising candidate for bone tissue engineering, but provide a viable method to design PAEK biomaterials.

Automated summary

This article introduces a new polymer material, PAEK-COOH, which is synthesized and fabricated into hierarchically controllable porous scaffolds via low-temperature 3D printing. The prepared scaffolds exhibit comparable mechanical strength to trabecular bone and the nanoporous surface promotes cellular adhesion and hydroxyapatite mineralization through electrostatic interaction. In vivo experiments demonstrate the superior osseointegration of the PAEK-COOH scaffolds compared to PEEK, without the need for additional active ingredients.