In Situ Mechanical Testing and Microtomography of 3D-Printed Hard Tissue Scaffolds for Bioengineering Applications
摘要
Understanding the evolution of the network of cracks in scaffolds meant to replace the hard tissues during loading is of crucial importance in the medical and bioengineering practice. To investigate the changes in the microstructure of the scaffolds associated with the dynamical compression process, we conducted uniaxial compression experiments on scaffold samples that were fabricated using digital light processing. Additionally, we used X-Ray microtomography to obtain a 3D visualization of the fracture pattern. The compression process was divided into three stages: compaction, elastic limit, and tensile strength. An increase in stress led to an increase in the concentration and unevenness of cracks, which demonstrated the propagation of initial microcracks in a certain direction and the subsequent process of their merging. These results provide important information about the internal structure and behavior of the scaffold under stress, facilitating the development of more effective scaffold structural design strategies.