Electric-Field-Assisted 3D Printing of Personalized Piezoelectric Implants for Non-Load-Bearing Bone Fracture Repair

Non-load-bearing bone fractures remain a clinical challenge due to their limited self-healing ability. Conventional implant scaffolds lack personalized 3D structures and show limited osteoinductivity. Herein, an ultrasound-responsive piezoelectric scaffold with customized 3D structures is fabricated with an electric field–assisted 3D printing strategy. The prepared piezoelectric scaffold demonstrates an excellent piezoelectric coefficient with up to 3.5 pC N −1 and a natural bone-comparable compressive modulus of ≈125.3 MPa. Notably, the piezoelectric scaffold can promote the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) by activating Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel (VGCC) related Ca 2+ /calmodulin (CaM) signaling pathways and enhancing intracellular calcium influx under low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) stimulation. In repairing rat cranial fractures, the piezoelectric scaffold exhibits significant healing efficacy. This study exploits an effective treatment approach for non-load-bearing bone fractures and lays the foundation for the repair of critical bone defects.