Hard scaffold

A method for producing a recoated titanium dioxide scaffold, said method comprising:

• a) applying a first slurry comprising titanium dioxide to a combustible porous structure;
• b) allowing the first slurry to solidify on said combustible porous structure;
• c) removing said combustible porous structure from the solidified titanium dioxide slurry by a first sintering at about 400-550° C. to produce a titanium dioxide scaffold structure;
• d) subjecting the titanium dioxide scaffold structure of step c) to a second sintering at a temperature of at least 1300° C. for at least 10 hours to provide a single-coated titanium dioxide scaffold that essentially lacks an inner strut volume;
• e) applying a second slurry comprising titanium dioxide to said single coated titanium dioxide scaffold by vacuum infiltration and thereafter optionally subjecting said single-coated titanium dioxide scaffold to centrifugation;
• f) allowing the second slurry of step e) to solidify on the single-coated titanium dioxide scaffold;
• and
• g) performing a third sintering at a temperature of at least 1100° C. to provide a recoated titanium dioxide scaffold;
• h) applying a third slurry comprising titanium dioxide to the recoated titanium dioxide scaffold, and subjecting the scaffold to centrifugation;
• i) allowing the third slurry to solidify on the scaffold;
• and
• j) performing a further sintering at a temperature of at least 1100° C.;
• wherein the viscosity of the third slurry is lower than the viscosity of the first slurry and higher than the viscosity of the second slurry.