Effect of Phosphate Phase Incorporation on 3D-Printed Hydrogel Scaffolds: Towards Customizable Bone Graft Materials

Bone defects remain a significant clinical challenge, creating a severe need for advanced biomaterials for tissue regeneration. This study addresses this issue by developing 3D-printed composite hydrogels containing alginate, gelatine, and resorbable calcium phosphates (monetite and brushite) for bone tissue engineering. The scaffolds were fabricated using extrusion-based 3D printing and evaluated for their morphology, porosity, mechanical strength, swelling, degradation, and in vitro mineralization, while their cytocompatibility was assessed using LIVE/DEAD cell viability assays. The key findings demonstrate that calcium phosphate incorporation enhanced the mechanical stability by 15-25% compared to the controls, and mineral deposition increased significantly in the composite scaffolds. The developed hydrogels are bioactive and represent promising, customizable scaffolds for bone regeneration. These results support their further investigation as viable alternatives to traditional bone grafts for clinical bone tissue engineering applications.