Abstract (EN):
A large range of biodegradable polymers are used to produce scaffolds
for tissue engineering, which temporarily replace the biomechanical functions of
a biologic tissue while it progressively regenerates its capacities. However, the mechanical
behavior of biodegradable materials during its degradation, which is an important
aspect of the scaffold design, is still an unexplored subject. For a biodegradable
scaffold, performance will decrease along its degradation, ideally in accordance
to the regeneration of the biologic tissue, avoiding the stress shielding effect or the
premature rupture. In this chapter, a new numerical approach to predict the mechanical
behavior of complex 3D scaffolds during degradation time (the 4th dimension)
is presented. The degradation of mechanical properties should ideally be compatible
to the tissue regeneration. With this new approach, an iterative process of optimization
is possible to achieve an ideal solution in terms of mechanical behavior and
degradation time. The scaffold can therefore be pre-validated in terms of functional
compatibility. An example of application of this approach is demonstrated at the end
of this chapter.
Idioma:
Inglês
Tipo (Avaliação Docente):
Científica
Nº de páginas:
26
Tipo de Licença: