Mathematical modelling of bone formation based on local Ca2+ concentrations in calcium phosphate scaffolds

In tissue engineering applications, scaffolds act as carriers for cells and growth factors that restore the functionality of an organ either permanently or temporarily. Since their introduction, calcium phosphates (CaP) have proven to be an excellent bone substitute material, however, the complexity of the in vitro and in vivo behavior has not been elucidated completely. Computational models can help us to gain a comprehensive understanding of this complexity, allowing improvement of the design for optimal bone healing. For the development of a mathematical model accounting for the complexity of CaP driven bone formation, this study focuses on the Ca2+ release from CaP scaffolds and aims to determine the local Ca2+ concentration of different clinical grade CaP scaffold types during bone formation.