Utility of an injectable 3D scaffold for osteoblast differentiation depends on pore size

Abstract

Autogenous bone grafts are often used to repair alveolar and palate clefts, and are used prior to the placement of implants; however autograft reconstruction has some disadvantages. To reduce or eliminate the need for bone grafting, we developed an injectable material. The material is a biodegradable 3D composite scaffold that forms from β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) beads and alginate hydrogel. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of pore size on the behavior of KUSA/A1 mouse osteoblasts, with the idea that these initial results in an in vitro cell culture system should help guide future studies.