BME PhD Preliminary Exam announcement for Claudia Benito Alston (L. Solorio, advisor) Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 3:00 PM. Title: Optimization of a patient-specific 3D printed bone graft for increased osteoinduction through finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics, as well as in vitro to in vivo modeling Date: June 1st, 2023 Time: 3:00 PM Location: DLR 131 and Zoom - https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/95213891530 Thesis Committee: Luis Solorio, Chair; Adrian Buganza Tepole; Deva Chan; Clark T. Barco Abstract: Maxillofacial and oral defects originate from congenital conditions such as cleft palate, diseases such as osteosarcoma that cause malignancies, as well as from injuries due to blasts or vehicular accidents. These defects lead to complications for the patient including difficulty speaking, infections, as well as damaging psychological effects owing to the patient’s distorted physical appearance. The current standard of care uses particulates of freeze-dried auto- or allografts covered by a titanium mesh secured in place by screws. This approach is limited by its variability, the length of time the patient is exposed to potential infection during surgery, as well as tight packing often leading to diminished bone regeneration as blood vessels may fail to form. A significant benefit of the current gold standard of freeze-dried particulate is the innate growth factors (GFs) that are released. However, since these are patient-derived the GF composition is poorly defined and varies. To address these fallbacks, a 3D printable, biodegradable, and implantable device with patient-specific shape and a porous core-cover structure was designed. The central hypothesis is that a 3D printed porous cover-core bone graft with spatiotemporally controlled release of GFs FGF-2 and BMP-2 will provide improved vascular infiltration and osteointegration. By using finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics, we will fine-tune the design to withstand possible masticatory forces as well as optimize inicial plasma influx ensuring complete endogeneous cells permeation, respectively. Overall, through a combination of in silico modeling, in vitro and in vivo studies, we aim to generate a patient-specific bone graft with an increased rate of osteointegration.