Kardo Khalid Abdullah

Abstract In the present work, we developed unique structures from polylactic acid (PLA) by combining electrospinning and fused filament fabrication (FFF). The thin layers of fiber mats were used as interleaves between printed infill layers, and hence, we obtained a multi-level porous structure. Due to the known favorable characteristics of the electrospun mats for cell adhesion and growth, these structures may be used as scaffolds in the future.

1 Introduction Natural and synthetic polymeric fibers have attracted considerable interest across academia and industry for their benign environmental footprint and excellent mechanical properties [1, 2]. Electrospinning (ES) has emerged as the leading method to produce micro‑ to nanoscale fibrous mats with precisely tunable porosity and morphology, yielding exceptionally high surface‑area‑to‑volume ratios [3-5].

1 Introduction In the context of bones, the extracellular matrix (ECM) refers to the complex network that comprises the structural framework of bone tissues [1]. It primarily consists of fibrous, non-soluble, and high-molecular-weight proteins like collagen and proteoglycans [2], as shown in Figure 1. Together, they serve as a scaffold and offer mechanical support to bone cells [4, 5], which support is significant for ensuring the strength and integrity of bone [6].