AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB025310311
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Early Access

Evaluation of biomechanical properties and early osseointegration of biomimetic bone trabecular Ti6Al4V scaffolds based on Voronoi design

Jinghong Yang1,2† Zi Wang1,3,4† Lujun Jiang1,3,4† Zhong Li1,3,4* Linlin Liu5* Juncai Liu1,3,4*
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1 Department of Orthopedics, The Affiliated Hospital, Southwest Medical University, Lu Zhou, 646000, China
2 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
3 Stem Cell Immunity and Regeneration Key Laboratory of Luzhou, Southwest Medical University, Lu Zhou, 646000, China
4 Sichuan Provincial Laboratory of Orthopaedic Engineering, Southwest Medical University, Lu Zhou, 646000, China
5 School of Advanced Manufacturing Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing 400065, China
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
Received: 31 July 2025 | Accepted: 22 September 2025 | Published online: 22 September 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Ti6Al4V scaffolds demonstrate significant translational potential for bone defect reconstruction, leveraging exceptional biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. However, achieving concurrent osseointegration enhancement and mechanical compatibility with native cancellous bone remains a critical design constraint. A trabecular bone-mimetic porous Ti6Al4V scaffold was fabricated via Voronoi-tessellated CAD and selective laser melting (SLM). Precise modulation of pore architecture enabled controlled porosity. Compression testing characterized the mechanical properties. Early-stage in vivo osseointegration was evaluated in a rabbit femoral condyle defect model using histomorphometry and micro-computed tomography (μCT) at 4/12 weeks, with comparative assessment against conventional Strut-based and G-curved lattices. The Voronoi scaffold exhibited cancellous bone-matching elastic modulus and yield strength, thereby mitigating stress-shielding effects. Biomechanics, CFD, and in vivo analysis demonstrated significantly enhanced osteogenic potential and superior bone-implant interface integration versus Strut and TPMS designs. The Voronoi design provides an effective biomimetic strategy for fabricating porous titanium alloy bone scaffolds with enhanced osteogenic properties. It has more potential than conventional struts and periodic TPMS structures in facilitating bone defect repair.

Keywords
Voronoi
Ti6Al4V scaffolds
Biomechanical
Osseointegration
Computational fluid dynamics
Funding
This study was supported by the Sichuan Science and Technology Program (2024YFHZ0067) to Juncai Liu and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2023MD744134) to Linlin Liu.
Conflict of interest
All authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing