Catalysis

Sediment

Scaffold

Engineering

Mesoporous material

Biology

Fabrication

Biomedical engineering

Materials science

Polylactic acid

Deposition (geology)

Tissue engineering

3D printing

Biochemistry

Computer science

Chemical engineering

Porosity

Paleontology

Polymer

Microporous material

Alternative medicine

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Macropore

Macro

Composite material

Medicine

Chemistry

Programming language

Fused deposition modeling

Pathology

Materials & Design

The design and fabrication of porous scaffold remains a major challenge in bone tissue engineering. Hierarchical microporous and macroporous structures in scaffold contribute different biological functions to tissue regeneration. This study introduced an integrated manufacturing method to fabricate hierarchical porous polymer scaffolds. Firstly, polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds with 100–800 μm macropores were fabricated by applying fused deposition modeling (FDM) techniques. Then, 1–10 μm micropores were generated in scaffolds through gas foaming. This combined technique avoids the disadvantages of pure 3DP or gas foaming technology and elicits positive cooperative effects to fabricate hierarchical porous scaffolds. The design of porosity in scaffold could offer innovative opportunities to control cell performance within 3D microenvironments.

Combination of fused deposition modeling and gas foaming technique to fabricated hierarchical macro/microporous polymer scaffolds