Design, Fabrication and Characterization of Poly(lactic acid) based Devices for Orthopaedical Applications

Tissue engineering is a multidisciplinary research field with the aim of developing biodegradable implantable devices for organ and tissue regeneration. This thesis was based on the development of scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration, with predefined geometry and porous structures. Additive manufacturing (AM) was involved in the project by employing Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) methods. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was investigated as basic material for the Fused Deposition Modelling 3D printing technique. PLA monomer can be produced from fermented starch, so the material is considered as obtained from renewable sources with minimal environmental impact. This thermoplastic polyester is optimal for composite blending which can modulate the biodegradability and properties for various tissue engineering needs. The investigation proceeded forward with the development of barium titanate-loaded PLA composites with piezoelectric properties in order to favour bone regeneration. The developed PLA-based samples by filament extrusion, compression moulding and 3D printing were investigated by physicochemical and mechanical characterization methods. The materials characterization results achieved this thesis are the base for further topic study and investigation