Zirconia Incorporation in 3D Printed β-Ca2SiO4 Scaffolds on Their Physicochemical and Biological Property

3D printed bioceramics derived from preceramic polymers are of great interest in bone tissue engineering due to their simplified fabrication processes. In this study, three-dimensional (3D) porous beta-Ca2SiO4 scaffolds incorporated with ZrO2 were fabricated from silicone resin loaded with active CaCO3 and inert ZrO2 fillers by 3D printing. The fabricated scaffolds possessed uniform interconnected macropores with a high porosity (> 67%). The results showed that the increase of ZrO2 incorporation significantly enhanced the compressive strength, and stimulated cell proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts. Importantly, the in vivo results indicated that the ZrO2-incorporated beta-Ca2SiO4 scaffolds improved osteogenic capacity compared to pure beta-Ca2SiO4 scaffolds. Taken together, the ZrO2-incorporated beta-Ca2SiO4 scaffolds fabricated by combining polymer-derived strategy with 3D printing could be a promising candidate for bone tissue engineering.