Bioresorbable-bioactive auxetic "personalised" phalanx with a CT-guided AI-driven model towards <i>in vivo</i> prediction of bone regeneration.
Authors
Affiliations (8)
Affiliations (8)
- School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India. [email protected].
- Department of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, IIEST, Shibpur, Howrah, West Bengal 711103, India.
- B C Roy Technology Hospital, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal 721302, India.
- Center for Healthcare Science and Technology at IIEST, Shibpur, Howrah, West Bengal 711103, India.
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, West Bengal 700054, India.
- Bio-innovation lab, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education & Research, Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha-442107, India.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education & Research, Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha-442107, India.
- Sharad Pawar Dental College, Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education, & Research, Sawangi (Meghe), Wardha-442107, India.
Abstract
Trauma and diseases such as gangrene, diabetes mellitus, leprosy, or advanced-stage cancer requiring resections may lead to digit loss due to the limited capacity of tissue regeneration. The increasing global incidence of phalanx fractures necessitates surgical intervention for restoring organ function. Early mobilization post-surgery significantly improves the range of motion and overall functional outcomes, emphasizing the need for mechanically stable and biologically responsive solutions. In this study, a CT-derived, site-specific "personalized" phalanx reconstruction was fabricated using bioresorbable fibres by melt-extrusion printing. Scaffold architecture was optimized to provide partial mechanical stability, thus promoting early-stage soft-tissue integration and joint articulation. The composition of PCL-bioglass material was optimized as a bioactive template with biodegradability <i>in vivo</i>. Finite-element analysis (FEA) was employed to ensure efficient stress distribution, optimum deformation, and site-specific modulus matching. Physicochemical characterization, <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> biological assessment, especially site-specific implantation in a rabbit model, revealed the ability of the scaffold to accelerate bone remodelling. An AI-assisted mathematical model trained on micro-CT-derived experimental data was developed to predict the intermediate period of bone regeneration over three years, providing a next-generation solution for personalized implant-based treatment to restore skeletal tissue function.