Effect of acid-etching 3D printed Ti templates on mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of Mg alloy scaffolds with different pore geometries

Segmental bone defect repair currently remains a major challenge in orthopedic clinics. In this study, to match different implantation positions, different pore geometries (P, G and Do) of Mg alloy scaffolds were designed and prepared by infiltration casting with the acid-etching treated Ti scaffold as the templates. The results showed that the acid-etching treatment for Ti templates resulted in a smoother surface of the Mg alloy scaffolds with improving the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Both experiments and simulations showed that the P scaffold had the highest mechanical properties, with yield strength and elastic modulus up to 26.7+2.1 MPa and 327.1+16.2 MPa, respectively. And the P scaffold had the best corrosion resistance after cleaning the Ti template, with a degradation rate of 0.34+0.17 mm/y at 228 h. In vitro cellular experiments showed good cytocompatibility on the surface of all three scaffolds.