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

Enhancing osteogenesis using 3D-printed porous tantalum scaffolds: A biomechanical, in vivo, and in vitro study

Mengxiao Tantai1,2,3† ,  Yi Zhang1,2,3† ,  Chengbin Wang2,3 ,  Tongwei Du4 ,  Sihao Yu1,2,3 ,  Zhihai Zhang1,2,3 ,  Hui Ma3 ,  Junliang Song3 ,  Dong Qu5 ,  Gangning Feng1,2,3* ,  Zhidong Lu1,2,3*
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1 Department of Spinal Surgery, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
2 Institute of Osteoarthropathy, Institute of Medical Sciences, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
3 The First Clinical Medical School, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
4 State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing System Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
5 School of Metallurgical Engineering, Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
IJB, 025390395 https://doi.org/10.36922/IJB025390395
Received: 23 September 2025 | Accepted: 11 October 2025 | Published online: 14 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/ )
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Abstract

Complex bone defects continue to pose significant challenges in the field of orthopedics, where restoring structural integrity and promoting osteointegration are essential for successful repair outcomes. Three-dimensional (3D) printing offers a robust approach for fabricating 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 with identical porosity, utilizing 3D printing technology. We systematically compared their mechanical properties, in vitro osteogenic potential, and in vivo bone integration within a defect model. The porous tantalum (PTa) 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 PTa scaffolds not only expedited bone repair but also improved osteoconductive ingrowth compared to their titanium counterparts. Multi-omics analyses further elucidated potential biological mechanisms underlying the superior performance of PTa. These findings underscore the potential of 3D-printed PTa as a promising scaffold material for the clinical repair of bone defects.  

Graphical abstract
Keywords
Biomaterials
Bone regeneration
Multi-omics analysis
Osteogenic differentiation
Porous tantalum
Funding
This work was supported by the Key R&D Project of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (Project No. 2021BEG02037), the University-level Fund of Ningxia Medical University (Grant No. XT2024028) and Ningxia Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 2025 AAC030863).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing
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