Additively Manufactured Semiflexible Titanium Lattices as Hydrogel Reinforcement for Biomedical Implants

Hydrogels are one of the most widespread biomaterials used in tissue engineering. However, they possess weak mechanical properties and are often unstable in load‐bearing applications in vivo. A novel class of flexible Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy lattices manufactured using laser powder bed fusion (L‐PB...

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Main Authors: Enrico Tosoratti, Ilaria Incaviglia, Oleksii Liashenko, Christian Leinenbach, Marcy Zenobi-Wong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley-VCH 2021-01-01
Series:Advanced NanoBiomed Research
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/anbr.202000031
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author Enrico Tosoratti
Ilaria Incaviglia
Oleksii Liashenko
Christian Leinenbach
Marcy Zenobi-Wong
author_facet Enrico Tosoratti
Ilaria Incaviglia
Oleksii Liashenko
Christian Leinenbach
Marcy Zenobi-Wong
author_sort Enrico Tosoratti
collection DOAJ
description Hydrogels are one of the most widespread biomaterials used in tissue engineering. However, they possess weak mechanical properties and are often unstable in load‐bearing applications in vivo. A novel class of flexible Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy lattices manufactured using laser powder bed fusion (L‐PBF) serves as a tunable reinforcement for hydrogels, providing them with additional mechanical stability and flexibility, while ensuring biocompatibility. A study on the design parameters of the structural elements of the lattices is performed to evaluate their influence on the mechanical properties of the structure. Mechanical testing of Ti–6Al–4V lattices shows a compressive modulus ranging from 38.9 to 895.5 kPa in the flexible direction. In the other two directions, the lattices are designed to have minimal flexibility. Lattices embedded in a 1% agarose hydrogel show a strain‐rate‐dependent, viscoelastic behavior given by the hydrogel component with the additional stiffness of the titanium lattice. Stress distribution upon loading is simulated using finite element analysis (FEA) and compared to experimental data using multiple regression statistical analysis. As a proof of concept, an intervertebral spinal disc implant is designed with mechanical properties matching the compressive moduli of the nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus reported in the literature.
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spelling doaj.art-0e13c61f4d0a49eea6b8bb0131a4d5242022-12-21T23:33:37ZengWiley-VCHAdvanced NanoBiomed Research2699-93072021-01-0111n/an/a10.1002/anbr.202000031Additively Manufactured Semiflexible Titanium Lattices as Hydrogel Reinforcement for Biomedical ImplantsEnrico Tosoratti0Ilaria Incaviglia1Oleksii Liashenko2Christian Leinenbach3Marcy Zenobi-Wong4Institute for Biomechanics ETH Zurich Otto-Stern-Weg 7 Zurich 8093 SwitzerlandAdvanced Materials and Surfaces Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology Überland Str. 129 Dübendorf 8600 SwitzerlandAdvanced Materials and Surfaces Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology Überland Str. 129 Dübendorf 8600 SwitzerlandAdvanced Materials and Surfaces Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology Überland Str. 129 Dübendorf 8600 SwitzerlandInstitute for Biomechanics ETH Zurich Otto-Stern-Weg 7 Zurich 8093 SwitzerlandHydrogels are one of the most widespread biomaterials used in tissue engineering. However, they possess weak mechanical properties and are often unstable in load‐bearing applications in vivo. A novel class of flexible Ti–6Al–4V titanium alloy lattices manufactured using laser powder bed fusion (L‐PBF) serves as a tunable reinforcement for hydrogels, providing them with additional mechanical stability and flexibility, while ensuring biocompatibility. A study on the design parameters of the structural elements of the lattices is performed to evaluate their influence on the mechanical properties of the structure. Mechanical testing of Ti–6Al–4V lattices shows a compressive modulus ranging from 38.9 to 895.5 kPa in the flexible direction. In the other two directions, the lattices are designed to have minimal flexibility. Lattices embedded in a 1% agarose hydrogel show a strain‐rate‐dependent, viscoelastic behavior given by the hydrogel component with the additional stiffness of the titanium lattice. Stress distribution upon loading is simulated using finite element analysis (FEA) and compared to experimental data using multiple regression statistical analysis. As a proof of concept, an intervertebral spinal disc implant is designed with mechanical properties matching the compressive moduli of the nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus reported in the literature.https://doi.org/10.1002/anbr.202000031additive manufacturingfinite element modelinglaser powder bed fusionparametric analysisreinforced hydrogelssemiflexibility
spellingShingle Enrico Tosoratti
Ilaria Incaviglia
Oleksii Liashenko
Christian Leinenbach
Marcy Zenobi-Wong
Additively Manufactured Semiflexible Titanium Lattices as Hydrogel Reinforcement for Biomedical Implants
Advanced NanoBiomed Research
additive manufacturing
finite element modeling
laser powder bed fusion
parametric analysis
reinforced hydrogels
semiflexibility
title Additively Manufactured Semiflexible Titanium Lattices as Hydrogel Reinforcement for Biomedical Implants
title_full Additively Manufactured Semiflexible Titanium Lattices as Hydrogel Reinforcement for Biomedical Implants
title_fullStr Additively Manufactured Semiflexible Titanium Lattices as Hydrogel Reinforcement for Biomedical Implants
title_full_unstemmed Additively Manufactured Semiflexible Titanium Lattices as Hydrogel Reinforcement for Biomedical Implants
title_short Additively Manufactured Semiflexible Titanium Lattices as Hydrogel Reinforcement for Biomedical Implants
title_sort additively manufactured semiflexible titanium lattices as hydrogel reinforcement for biomedical implants
topic additive manufacturing
finite element modeling
laser powder bed fusion
parametric analysis
reinforced hydrogels
semiflexibility
url https://doi.org/10.1002/anbr.202000031
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