Strategies for characterizing porous additively manufactured implants

在我们的老龄化人口中，骨质疏松症（OP）等疾病（根据骨矿物质密度降低和骨代谢相关的全身变化进行分类）是牙科种植体成功的关键。需要新的种植体设计策略来促进骨形成。增材制造或3D打印提供了一种创建新型多孔植入物几何形状的方法，但这些孔在健康个体骨修复中的作用尚不清楚。该提案旨在通过开发多模态平台来表征骨形成，包括评估多孔金属植入物内骨的细胞、分子和多长度尺度结构形成，从而更好地了解植入物周围骨修复的植入物设计。它将结合高分辨率电子显微镜策略与机械测试，基因反应和组织学，以阐明植入物设计，骨结构和细胞功能之间的联系。这项工作将开发一个平台，用于表征与加拿大生物医学成像部门高度相关的复杂生物材料系统。最终，这项工作将导致牙科和骨科矫正手术的增材制造植入物的设计和寿命得到改善，降低医疗成本，并直接造福于所有加拿大人的福祉，特别是我们的老龄化人口。

In our aging population, conditions such as osteoporosis (OP) which is classified by a decrease in bone mineral density and associated systemic changes in bone metabolism, are of concern for dental implant success. New implant design strategies are needed to enhance bone formation. Additive manufacturing or 3D printing presents an approach to creating novel porous implant geometries, but the role of these pores on bone repair in healthy individuals is not well understood. This proposal seeks to better understand implant design on peri-implant bone repair by developing a multi-modal platform to characterize bone formation including assessing the cellular, molecular, and multi-length scale structural formation of bone within porous metallic implants. It will incorporate high-resolution electron microscopy strategies with mechanical testing, gene response, and histology to elucidate the connection between implant design, bone structure, and cellular function. This work will develop a platform for the characterization of complex biomaterials systems which is of high relevance to the biomedical imaging sector in Canada. Ultimately, this work will lead to the improved design and longevity of additively manufactured implants for corrective procedures in dentistry and orthopaedics, reducing healthcare costs and directly benefiting the well-being of all Canadians, particularly our aging demographic.