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3D Printed Silicone Meniscus Implants: Influence of the 3D Printing Process on Properties of Silicone Implants

Eric Luis, Houwen Matthew Pan Orcid Logo, Anil Bastola, Ram Bajpai Orcid Logo, Swee Leong Sing Orcid Logo, Juha Song, Wai Yee Yeong

Polymers, Volume: 12, Issue: 9, Start page: 2136

Swansea University Author: Anil Bastola

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DOI (Published version): 10.3390/polym12092136

Abstract

Osteoarthritis of the knee with meniscal pathologies is a severe meniscal pathology suffered by the aging population worldwide. However, conventional meniscal substitutes are not 3D-printable and lack the customizability of 3D printed implants and are not mechanically robust enough for human implant...

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Published in: Polymers
ISSN: 2073-4360
Published: MDPI AG 2020
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa65756
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Abstract: Osteoarthritis of the knee with meniscal pathologies is a severe meniscal pathology suffered by the aging population worldwide. However, conventional meniscal substitutes are not 3D-printable and lack the customizability of 3D printed implants and are not mechanically robust enough for human implantation. Similarly, 3D printed hydrogel scaffolds suffer from drawbacks of being mechanically weak and as a result patients are unable to execute immediate post-surgical weight-bearing ambulation and rehabilitation. To solve this problem, we have developed a 3D silicone meniscus implant which is (1) cytocompatible, (2) resistant to cyclic loading and mechanically similar to native meniscus, and (3) directly 3D printable. The main focus of this study is to determine whether the purity, composition, structure, dimensions and mechanical properties of silicone implants are affected by the use of a custom-made in-house 3D-printer. We have used the phosphate buffer saline (PBS) absorption test, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, surface profilometry, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to effectively assess and compare material properties between molded and 3D printed silicone samples.
Keywords: additive manufacturing; 3D printing; silicone; meniscus implants; validation
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Funders: This research is supported by the National Research Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore under its Medium-Sized Center Funding scheme and the NTU Start-Up Grant.
Issue: 9
Start Page: 2136

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