A Comprehensive Exploration of Polymeric 3D Sponges for Regeneration of Bone

Bone regeneration through tissue engineering is a promising domain aiming to regenerate damaged bone tissue, requiring suitable scaffolds for support. Polymeric 3D sponges have emerged as a focal point due to their tunable properties and biocompatibility. This review examines the utilization of polymeric 3D sponges in bone tissue engineering, with a particular focus on materials, fabrication methodologies, and characterization approaches. The introduction emphasizes the significance of bone tissue engineering and the critical role of scaffolds in facilitating bone regeneration. Polymeric 3D sponges have promising attributes for this purpose with their porosity, interconnected pore structure, and mechanical strength. A diverse range of materials chosen based on their biocompatibility and capacity to replicate the extracellular matrix found in bone tissue. The review explores diverse scaffold fabrication techniques, including electrospinning, 3D printing, and freeze-drying, each offering unique advantages in controlling pore size, porosity, and scaffold architecture crucial for cell behavior. Characterization methods, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), and mechanical testing, are essential for assessing scaffold properties like pore size, porosity, and compressive strength. Table 2 on polymeric 3D sponges for bone tissue engineering summarizes key parameters, including pore size, porosity, and compressive strength, while highlighting trends in scaffold design and performance. It provides valuable insights for comparing different materials and their effects on various evaluation parameters. In summary, this review comprehensively explores polymeric 3D sponges for bone tissue engineering, elucidating their potential in addressing bone regeneration challenges and guiding future research endeavors in this field.Lay SummaryThis review article provides up-to-date information of various polymeric materials, their advantages and disadvantages, the development and characterization methods and cells used for bone and cartilage regeneration using 3D sponge.