Large bone defects are a critical problem for the clinician nowadays. A big difficulty with large bone defects is in providing a strong scaffold for bone regrowth. As natural bone is highly anisotropic with an intricate structure, manufacturing strong biocompatible materials can be difficult and expensive task. In such regards, the structural similarity between wood and bone makes it an interesting and sustainable alternative for the treatment of such defects [1]. Moreover it is also found to be biocompatible in nature [2]. This study examines wood for its potential in providing an effective scaffold for bone regrowth.

To create hollow wood fibrils, the wood specimens were delignified using NaOH solution. The open structure of the dignified wood was filled with a Bioglass-infused gelatine hydrogel. This helped in enhancing the bioactivity of wood specimens. The bioactivity of the scaffolds was investigated via cytotoxicity analysis using Fibroblast cells. The mechanical integrity of the scaffolds was further investigated using compression tests.

The bioactive glass-infused gelatine hydrogel improved the biocompatibility and mechanical stability of the delignified wood scaffolds. This study illustrates that via this technique, a highly customizable, mechanically strong, sustainable and cost-effective scaffold for bone regrowth can be developed for the treatment of large bone defects.

[1] Nefjodovs V, Andze L, Andzs M, Filipova I, Tupciauskas R, Vecbiskena L, et al. Wood as Possible Renewable Material for Bone Implants—Literature Review. Vol. 14, Journal of Functional Biomaterials. MDPI; 2023.

[2] Horský I, Huraj E, Paukovic J. [Utilization of wood in the manufacture of orthopedic implants]. Acta Chir Orthop Traumatol Cech. 1987.

Christian Hammer (B.Sc.)