40th International Conference on Production Engineering of Serbia
ICPES 2025
Nis, Serbia, 18-19th september 2025
INFLUENCE OF STRUT CROSS-SECTION GEOMETRY ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF MSLA-FABRICATED BONE SCAFFOLDS
Aleksandra Velickovic, Rajko Turudija, Jovan Arandelovic, Jelena Stojkovic
DOI: 10.46793/ICPES25.431V
Severe bone injuries often result in critical-sized defects that exceed the body’s natural healing capacity, requiring engineered scaffolds to restore mechanical stability and promote bone regeneration. This study investigates how different strut cross-sectional geometries affect the mechanical properties of 3D-printed bone scaffolds. Six geometries (including square, rhomboid, circular, and three others) were designed and fabricated using Masked Stereolithography (MSLA) technology. Multiple samples of each geometry were produced and tested under uniaxial compression using a universal testing machine. Key parameters analyzed included engineering stress and elastic modulus. Results showed significant variation in mechanical properties depending on the cross-sectional shape. Scaffolds with rectangular strut cross-section exhibited the highest compressive strength of 33.39 MPa, while those with circular strut cross-section recorded the lowest value of 27.38 MPa. Additionally, scaffolds with a circular strut cross-section exhibited the highest elastic modulus of 1774.3 N/mm², while scaffolds with a cross-shaped strut cross-section exhibited the lowest elastic modulus of 1153.7 N/mm². These findings highlight the importance of geometric optimization in scaffold design for improved mechanical stability
Lattice-like scaffolds, strut cross-section, mechanical properties, MSLA
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