Different growing of osteoblasts on 3D structures in comparison with industrial and individual materials

In tissue engineering the use of 3D scaffolds is getting more important. Especially in maxillo facial surgery there is a variety for using special supporting stability materials for calvarium reconstruction, sinus floor evaluation and tumor surgery.In the following in vitro studies we compared a rapid prototyping produced scaffold with an industrial produced material which is covered with 10 % collagen fibres. The technique of rapid prototyping allows an individual 3D produced scaffold. We used PLGA by rapid prototyping methods to reach a high stability. Both maerials were seeded with 1 x 105 osteoblasts. The cells were cultivated out of pieces of corticolamellar bone of the maxilla from five different patients and five sheeps. After one week in the cell incubator cell proliferation test (EZ4U) was done. Furthermore cell growing was investigated by using scanning electron microscope.Comparing these experiments the human osteoblasts showed a higher cell proliferation than the sheep osteoblasts. Only a small difference between the two materials was seen.The test showed that both materials are equal with regard to cell proliferation and cell cytotoxicitity. There are suitable for clinical surgeries. The advantage of rapid prototyping is the possibility of making individual forms. Keywords: tissue engineering, rapid prototyping, scaffolds