AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB025390395
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Early Access

Promoting osteogenesis via 3D-printed porous tantalum scaffolds: Biomechanics and in vivo/in vitro study

Mengxiao Tantai1† Yi Zhang1† Chengbin Wang1 Tongwei Du3 Sihao Yu1 Zhihai Zhang1 Hui Ma1 Junliang Song1 Dong Qu4 Gangning Feng2* Zhidong Lu2*
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1 Ningxia Medical University,Yinchuan,510000,China, Ningxia Medical University,Yinchuan,510000,China
2 General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 510000
3 State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, China.
4 Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology,Xi’an, 710000,China
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
Received: 23 September 2025 | Accepted: 11 October 2025 | Published online: 16 October 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

Complex bone defects continue to pose significant challenges in the field of orthopedics, where the restoration of structural integrity and the promotion of osteointegration are essential for successful repair outcomes. Three-dimensional (3D) printing offers a robust approach for the fabrication of patient-specific scaffolds with precise architectural and functional control. In this study, we designed and fabricated porous scaffolds composed of tantalum and titanium alloys, both exhibiting identical porosity, utilizing 3D printing technology. We conducted a systematic comparison of their mechanical properties, in vitro osteogenic potential, and in vivo bone integration within a defect model. The porous tantalum scaffolds demonstrated exceptional biocompatibility, enhanced cell adhesion, and significantly promoted the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells as well as extracellular matrix mineralization. In vivo, the porous tantalum scaffolds not only expedited bone repair but also improved osteoconductive ingrowth compared to their titanium counterparts. Omics analyses further elucidated potential biological mechanisms underlying the superior performance of porous tantalum. These findings underscore the potential of 3D-printed porous tantalum as a promising scaffold material for the clinical repair of bone defects.

Keywords
Bone regeneration
Porous tantalum
Osteogenic differentiation
Multiomics analysis
Biomaterials
Funding
This work was supported by the Key R&D Project of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (Project No. 2021BEG02037) and the University-level Fund of Ningxia Medical University (Grant No. XT2024028).
Conflict of interest
The author declares that there are no conflicts of interest.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing