Zirconia Incorporation in 3D Printed β-Ca2SiO4 Scaffolds on Their Physicochemical and Biological Property

3D printed bioceramics derived from preceramic polymers are of great interest in bone tissue engineering due to their simplified fabrication processes.In this study, three-dimensional (3D) porous β-Ca 2 SiO 4 scaffolds incorporated with ZrO 2 were fabricated from silicone resin loaded with active CaCO 3 and inert ZrO 2 fillers by 3D printing.The fabricated scaffolds possessed uniform interconnected macropores with a high porosity (> 67%).The results showed that the increase of ZrO 2 incorporation significantly enhanced the compressive strength, and stimulated cell proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts.Importantly, the in vivo results indicated that the ZrO 2 -incorporated β-Ca 2 SiO 4 scaffolds improved osteogenic capacity compared to pure β-Ca 2 SiO 4 scaffolds.Taken together, the ZrO 2 -incorporated β-Ca 2 SiO 4 scaffolds fabricated by combining polymer-derived strategy with 3D printing could be a promising candidate for bone tissue engineering.