Fig. 2.
a Simplified mechanical model of springs to calculate stiffness of scaffolds. Untreated specimens will report only material’s stiffness k 1. After treatment, scaffolds will increase their resistance as they also host for bone cellular matrix stiffness k 2. This model of springs will allow us to calculate an equivalent-stiffness parameter k e. b Testing anisotropy of 3D-printed scaffolds. Different axes of compression are tested as 3D printing technology introduces anisotropy characteristics to scaffolds since they are being manufactured layer by layer