Figure 3.

Schematic design of the scaffold intergrating 3D printed and micropatterned regions for the bone-ligament oral complex. Anatomical features of the alveolar bone-periodontal ligament interphase present innately at the tooth root surface (a) were used to design a scaffold combining a 3D printed PCL region and a 3D patterned PCL film for the bone and PDL regions, respectively (b). A total of six groups (c) were tested in vivo by varying the geometry (width, W and depth, D of the grooves) of the PCL in the PDL region of the scaffold: (1) random-porous, salt-leached PCL sponge, (2) 400×400 um square pillars 250um in height, (3) square pillars with 60um wide and 30um deep grooves, (4) pillars with 60um wide and 10um deep grooves, (5) pillars with 15um wide, 30um deep and 15um wide, 10um deep (6) grooves. (d) An ex vivo mouse model was used to subcutaneously implant the combined scaffold to promote bone (B) and periodontal ligament formation, with a dentin chip (D) press-fit on top of the combined scaffold after cell-seeding the PDL region prior to implantation.