Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) chain cleavage results in the formation of polar terminal species, comprising hydroxy and carboxyl groups that enhance surface hydrophilicity and enable subsequent biofunctionalization. However, the direct effects of various acidic and basic treatments on 3D printed PCL scaffolds have not been studied from a functional perspective. In this study, we comprehensively assessed the influence of acid (hydrochloric, HCl) and base (sodium hydroxide, NaOH) catalyzed hydrolysis across different conditions on various properties of 3D printed PCL scaffolds. Analyses included testing of physiochemical and mechanical properties, and assessment of rate and stability of surface-nucleating bioactive apatite-like minerals. HCl exposure resulted…
Objectives This study investigates the design, workflow, and manufacture of highly porous, resorbable additively manufactured, 3‐dimensional (3D) custom scaffolds for the regeneration of large volume alveolar bone defects. Materials and Methods Computed tomography (CT) scans of 5 posterior mandibular vertical bone defects were obtained. Surface masks (3D surface contours) of the recipient site were first isolated using a contrast threshold, transformed into 3D objects, and used to guide the formation of custom implant template models. To determine model accuracy and fit, the gap and overlap between the patient geometry models and the idealized template 3D models were quantified. Models were…