Tissue engineered bone scaffolds are potential alternatives to bone allografts and autografts. Porous scaffolds based on triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) are good candidates for tissue growth because they offer high surface-to-volume ratio, have tailorable stiffness, and can be easily fabricated by additive manufacturing. However, the range of TPMS scaffold types is extensive, and it is not yet clear which type provides the fastest cell or tissue growth while being sufficiently stiff to act as a bone graft. Nor is there currently an established methodology for TPMS bone scaffold design which can be quickly adopted by medical designers or biologists designing implants. In this study, we examine six TPMS scaffold types for use as tissue growth scaffolds and propose a general methodology to optimise their geometry. At the macro-scale, the optimisation routine ensures a scaffold stiffness within suitable limits for bone, while at the micro-scale it maximises the cell growth rate. The optimisation procedure also ensures the scaffold pores are of sufficient diameter to allow oxygen and nutrient delivery via capillaries. Of the examined TPMS structures, the Lidinoid and Split P cell types provide the greatest cell growth rates and are therefore the best candidates for bone scaffolds.

中文翻译：

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基于三周期最小曲面的骨生长支架多尺度优化方法

组织工程骨支架是骨同种异体移植物和自体移植物的潜在替代品。基于三周期最小表面 (TPMS) 的多孔支架是组织生长的良好候选者，因为它们提供高表面体积比，具有可定制的刚度，并且可以通过增材制造轻松制造。然而，TPMS 支架类型的范围很广，尚不清楚哪种类型可以提供最快的细胞或组织生长，同时又足够坚硬以充当骨移植物。目前也没有既定的 TPMS 骨支架设计方法可以被医学设计师或生物学家设计植入物快速采用。在这项研究中，我们检查了六种 TPMS 支架类型用作组织生长支架，并提出了一种优化其几何形状的通用方法。在宏观上，优化程序确保支架刚度在适合骨骼的范围内，同时在微观尺度上最大化细胞生长速率。优化程序还确保支架孔具有足够的直径，以允许通过毛细血管输送氧气和养分。在检查的 TPMS 结构中，Lidinoid 和 Split P 细胞类型提供了最大的细胞生长速率，因此是骨支架的最佳候选者。