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Review
. 2023 May 20;14(5):286.
doi: 10.3390/jfb14050286.

A Review of the Application of Natural and Synthetic Scaffolds in Bone Regeneration

Sok Kuan Wong  1 , Michelle Min Fang Yee  1 , Kok-Yong Chin  1 , Soelaiman Ima-Nirwana  1
Affiliations
Review

A Review of the Application of Natural and Synthetic Scaffolds in Bone Regeneration

Sok Kuan Wong et al. J Funct Biomater. .

Abstract

The management of bone defects is complicated by the presence of clinical conditions, such as critical-sized defects created by high-energy trauma, tumour resection, infection, and skeletal abnormalities, whereby the bone regeneration capacity is compromised. A bone scaffold is a three-dimensional structure matrix serving as a template to be implanted into the defects to promote vascularisation, growth factor recruitment, osteogenesis, osteoconduction, and mechanical support. This review aims to summarise the types and applications of natural and synthetic scaffolds currently adopted in bone tissue engineering. The merits and caveats of natural and synthetic scaffolds will be discussed. A naturally derived bone scaffold offers a microenvironment closer to in vivo conditions after decellularisation and demineralisation, exhibiting excellent bioactivity, biocompatibility, and osteogenic properties. Meanwhile, an artificially produced bone scaffold allows for scalability and consistency with minimal risk of disease transmission. The combination of different materials to form scaffolds, along with bone cell seeding, biochemical cue incorporation, and bioactive molecule functionalisation, can provide additional or improved scaffold properties, allowing for a faster bone repair rate in bone injuries. This is the direction for future research in the field of bone growth and repair.

Keywords: bioglass; bovine bone; calcium phosphate cement; chitosan; hydrogel; hydroxyapatite; polymers; polymethyl methacrylate.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare there are no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The properties of natural scaffolds in bone tissue engineering.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The properties of semi-synthetic and synthetic scaffolds in bone tissue engineering. Abbreviations: PCL, polycaprolactone; PGA, poly(glycolic acid); PLA, poly(lactic acid); PLGA, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid).
Figure 3
Figure 3
The merits (green boxes) and caveats (orange boxes) of natural and synthetic scaffold in bone tissue engineering.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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