Experimental study on deantigenization and trabecular structure effects on bovine cancellous bone compression

De-antigenization treatments in allogeneic bone grafting affect the compressive properties of bone materials, while synthetic 3D-printed scaffolds often overlook trabecular structural influences. This study investigates how de-antigenization impacts the hardness and compressive strength of bovine cancellous bone and explores the relationship between trabecular structural parameters and mechanical properties, aiming to optimize antigen removal while preserving mechanical integrity and guiding synthetic bone design. In this study, the hardness, compressive strength, and elastic modulus of bovine cancellous bone were analyzed after degreasing and deproteinization. Structural parameters (porosity, trabecular anisotropy, fractal dimensions) were obtained via CT scanning, and their effects on compressive properties were evaluated. The study yielded three findings:1. Deproteinization weakened the mechanical properties of bovine cancellous bone more significantly than degreasing. 2. When both deproteinization and degreasing are required, conducting degreasing before deproteinization can reduce the loss of mechanical properties. 3. Compressive strength is positively correlated with trabecular anisotropy and negatively correlated with trabecular thickness. To preserve the compressive strength and hardness of xenograft bone materials, degreasing should be performed before deproteinization during de-antigenization. In the design of 3D-printed bone scaffolds, the compressive strength can be modulated by adjusting the anisotropy of scaffold units. This approach enables personalized scaffold design tailored to the specific needs of individual patients, improving clinical outcomes.