Correlation between Ca Release and Osteoconduction by 3D-Printed Hydroxyapatite-Based Templates

The application of hydroxyapatite (HA)-based templates is quite often seen in bone tissue engineering since that HA is an osteoconductive bioceramic material, which mimics the inorganic component of mineralized tissues. However, the reported osteoconductivity varies in vitro and in vivo, and the levels of calcium (Ca) release most favorable to osteoconduction have yet to be determined. In this study, HA-based templates were fabricated by melt-extrusion 3D-printing and characterized in order to determine a possible correlation between Ca release and osteoconduction. The HA-based templates were blended with poly(lactide-