Microstructure-induced capillary forces for seeding cells in rigid substrates

Orateur : Pr. Amy Wagoner Johnson (Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering (MechSE) - University of Illinois - Urbana - USA)

Calcium phosphate (CaP) materials have been used for decades in medical devices that interface with bone. Porous CaPs can serve as fillers in bony defects caused by cancer, congenital defects, or traumatic injuries. Some of these defects result in severe disfigurement and loss of function. The most severe, those that are complex and/or critical size defects, do not heal with current treatments of allograft, autograft, or synthetic graft. Our interest is specifically in the role of microporosity (<50 microns), or microstructure, in stimulating and controlling bone growth in CaP bone scaffolds with porosity at multiple length scales. Previous work has shown that microporosity enhances bone growth in vivo though the specific mechanism(s) have been elusive. We propose a specific mechanism as the driving force for the enhanced bone regeneration. Capillary forces generated by the microporous network deform cells and draw them into the pores, effectively self-seeding the scaffolds and trapping the cells. We propose that this occurs at implantation and provides the initial conditions in the defect microenvironment that enhance regeneration.

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