Convergence of 3D printing, scaffoldomics and bone regeneration: Designing new toughened biodegradable composites with weak interfaces

Scaffold-guided bone regeneration (SGBR) is a rapidly developing field that aims to address the clinical challenges in reconstructive surgery. Combining ceramics with biodegradable polymers offers a wide range of physico-chemical properties, but their mechanical properties are far from the expectations. Nature offers examples of mineralized materials with excellent mechanical properties. This can be attributed to their unique architecture featuring soft polymeric interfaces that deflect propagating cracks. The present article depicts the role of soft interfaces on bone toughness, the governing equations of cracks propagating at interfaces, and provide guidelines for the design of medical grade composites for SGBR.