Optimizing Graded Porous Scaffolds for Bone Defects: Insights from In Vivo Mechanical Environments

Background: Bone tissue engineering has emerged as a promising technique for treating bone defects in large bones. Recent methods have enabled scaffold designs based on pre-defined microstructures or mechanical behavior patterns, including porosity-graded scaf-folds adaptable to heterogeneous load s...

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Autores: Mora Macías, Juan; Santos, Jorge E.; Castro, André P. G.; Fernandes, Paulo R.
Tipo de documento: Artículo
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Huelva (UHU)
Repositorio:Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
Lenguaje:Inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ariasmontano.uhu.es:10272/28062
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10272/28062
Nivel de acceso:Acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Bone tissue engineering
Bone defect
Graded-porosity scaffolds
Bone transport
FEM based on CT
3314 Tecnología Médica
2406.04 Biomecánica
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author Mora Macías, Juan
author2 Santos, Jorge E.
Castro, André P. G.
Fernandes, Paulo R.
author2_role author
author
author
author_browse Castro, André P. G.
Fernandes, Paulo R.
Mora Macías, Juan
Santos, Jorge E.
author_facet Mora Macías, Juan
Santos, Jorge E.
Castro, André P. G.
Fernandes, Paulo R.
author_role author
collection Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
description Background: Bone tissue engineering has emerged as a promising technique for treating bone defects in large bones. Recent methods have enabled scaffold designs based on pre-defined microstructures or mechanical behavior patterns, including porosity-graded scaf-folds adaptable to heterogeneous load states. However, there is no consensus on the opti-mal scaffold design strategy, which is sometimes chosen based on the intact bone or re-sults from computational or in vivo experiments. Objective: This work proposes the de-sign of graded-porosity triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) scaffolds that mimic the mechanical environment within a bone transport callus at the peak of bone tissue produc-tion, according to in vivo load measurements. Methods: Finite element models based on computational tomography scans were used to define the strain field of the callus at the peak of bone tissue production. The developed scaffold models were evaluated through finite element simulation. Results: The callus simulations reported that the period in which maximum woven bone tissue production was achieved corresponds to the period of maximum axial strain. The graded-porosity scaffolds simulated demonstrated their ability to replicate this strain field along the callus. The microstructural parameters and strain environment of the proposed graded-porosity scaffolds were consistent with find-ing from studies assessing the influence of different microstructural parameters or strain conditions on bone ingrown within scaffolds. Conclusions: The proposed approach—de-signing graded-porosity scaffolds based on the callus strain field at the peak of bone tissue production—proved to be appropriate and may help improve future clinical applications.
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publishDate 2026
publishDateSort 2026
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reponame_str Arias Montano. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
spelling Optimizing Graded Porous Scaffolds for Bone Defects: Insights from In Vivo Mechanical Environments Mora Macías, Juan Santos, Jorge E. Castro, André P. G. Fernandes, Paulo R. Bone tissue engineering Bone defect Graded-porosity scaffolds Bone transport FEM based on CT 3314 Tecnología Médica 2406.04 Biomecánica Background: Bone tissue engineering has emerged as a promising technique for treating bone defects in large bones. Recent methods have enabled scaffold designs based on pre-defined microstructures or mechanical behavior patterns, including porosity-graded scaf-folds adaptable to heterogeneous load states. However, there is no consensus on the opti-mal scaffold design strategy, which is sometimes chosen based on the intact bone or re-sults from computational or in vivo experiments. Objective: This work proposes the de-sign of graded-porosity triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) scaffolds that mimic the mechanical environment within a bone transport callus at the peak of bone tissue produc-tion, according to in vivo load measurements. Methods: Finite element models based on computational tomography scans were used to define the strain field of the callus at the peak of bone tissue production. The developed scaffold models were evaluated through finite element simulation. Results: The callus simulations reported that the period in which maximum woven bone tissue production was achieved corresponds to the period of maximum axial strain. The graded-porosity scaffolds simulated demonstrated their ability to replicate this strain field along the callus. The microstructural parameters and strain environment of the proposed graded-porosity scaffolds were consistent with find-ing from studies assessing the influence of different microstructural parameters or strain conditions on bone ingrown within scaffolds. Conclusions: The proposed approach—de-signing graded-porosity scaffolds based on the callus strain field at the peak of bone tissue production—proved to be appropriate and may help improve future clinical applications. MDPI https://hdl.handle.net/10272/28062
spellingShingle Optimizing Graded Porous Scaffolds for Bone Defects: Insights from In Vivo Mechanical Environments
Mora Macías, Juan
Bone tissue engineering
Bone defect
Graded-porosity scaffolds
Bone transport
FEM based on CT
3314 Tecnología Médica
2406.04 Biomecánica
title Optimizing Graded Porous Scaffolds for Bone Defects: Insights from In Vivo Mechanical Environments
title_full Optimizing Graded Porous Scaffolds for Bone Defects: Insights from In Vivo Mechanical Environments
title_fullStr Optimizing Graded Porous Scaffolds for Bone Defects: Insights from In Vivo Mechanical Environments
title_full_unstemmed Optimizing Graded Porous Scaffolds for Bone Defects: Insights from In Vivo Mechanical Environments
title_short Optimizing Graded Porous Scaffolds for Bone Defects: Insights from In Vivo Mechanical Environments
title_sort Optimizing Graded Porous Scaffolds for Bone Defects: Insights from In Vivo Mechanical Environments
topic Bone tissue engineering
Bone defect
Graded-porosity scaffolds
Bone transport
FEM based on CT
3314 Tecnología Médica
2406.04 Biomecánica
topic_facet Bone tissue engineering
Bone defect
Graded-porosity scaffolds
Bone transport
FEM based on CT
3314 Tecnología Médica
2406.04 Biomecánica
url https://hdl.handle.net/10272/28062