Thermomechanical properties of coated PLA-3D-printed orthopedic plate with PCL/Akermanite nano-fibers: Experimental procedure and AI optimization

Abstract

Nowadays, 3D printing has become a popular method among surgeons due to its merits in orthopedic treatments. In this method, polymeric biomaterials are deposited in a layer-by-layer manner to fabricate 3D objects that can be used as orthopedic implants and plates; however, 3D-printed implants or plates may lack properties required to bond with host tissue. Coating surface of plates with nano-fibers is an appropriate way to modify plates to overcome this challenge. In this study, first, an orthopedic plate was 3D printed with Polylactic acid (PLA) and coated with polycaprolactone (PCL)/Akermanite (AKT) nano-fibers. The composition included 8 wt% of PCL and 3 wt% of nAKT, while diameter of the PCL/AKT nano-fibers was approximately 253 nm ± 33 nm. Thermomechanical properties such as pressure, three-point bending flexural, and thermal conductivity of coated and non-coated specimens were examined and compared. In the next step, the bioactivity of the coated samples was evaluated following a 28-day immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF). Further, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images were taken to assess morphology of nanofibers and apatite formation on samples. By adding PCL to PLA, the maximum pressure force is enhanced by 16.83%. Further by adding nAKT to PLA + PCL sample, the maximum pressure force is enhanced by 4.72%. Further, by adding PCL to PLA, the maximum bending flexural force is enhanced by 21.06%. Further by adding nAKT to PLA + PCL sample, the maximum bending flexural force is enhanced by 21.39%. The results of this study are used to improve modeling of the orthopedic plates.

Keywords

• Thermomechanical properties
• 3D printing
• Nano-fibers
• Orthopedic plate
• Bioactivity evaluation
• Optimization