The Development of a Biomimetic Nanoscaled Spinal Cage Based on Three-Dimensional Reconstruction Imaging

Objective: The surface characteristic of intervertebral cage is the determinant factor for its long-term clinical efficacy. A key process in the development of bionic intervertebral cage is to optimize the biological activity and structural features of biodegradable cage to accommodate cell growth. This study aimed to analyze the feasibility and application of digital imaging and surface-modification on spinal scaffold fabrication. Methods: The morphology of scaffold was obtained by analyzing anatomic data from digital scanning in spinal area. The biomimetic nanoscaled spinal cage was designed with a combination of chitosan, polycaprolactone and beta-tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) via neodymium-doped (Nd) yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) with Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) modification. Morphology, compatibility, and the mechanical properties of hydrophilicity and degradation of scaffold were analyzed. Results: The three-dimensional image reconstruction apparently improved the accuracy of the outer contour of the scaffold, reduced the errors of parameters during the simple process of physical and chemical preparation, and made the stent three-dimensional spatial layout more reasonable. YAG plus RGD surface modified scaffold showed a stable chemophysical characteristics and excellent hydrophilicity. Conclusion: Imaging and surface-modification aided fabrication technique may be applied for spinal scaffold fabrication.