Scaffold development using selective laser sintering of polyetheretherketone–hydroxyapatite biocomposite blends

In tissue engineering (TE), temporary three-dimensional scaffolds are essential to guide cell proliferation and to maintain native phenotypes in regenerating biologic tissues or organs. To create the scaffolds, rapid prototyping (RP) techniques are emerging as fabrication techniques of choice as they are capable of overcoming many of the limitations encountered with conventional manual-based fabrication processes. In this research, RP fabrication of solvent free porous polymeric and composite scaffolds was investigated. Biomaterials such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and hydroxyapatite (HA) were experimentally processed on a commercial selective laser sintering (SLS) RP system. The SLS technique is highly advantageous as it provides good user control over the microstructures of created scaffolds by adjusting the SLS process parameters. Different weight percentage (wt%) compositions of physically mixed PEEK/HA powder blends were sintered to assess their suitability for SLS processing. Microstructural assessments of the scaffolds were conducted using electron microscopy. The results ascertained the potential of SLS-fabricated TE scaffolds.