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Updated: Mar 19, 2026
Human Cartilage Tissue Fabrication Using Three-dimensional Inkjet Printing Technology
Published on: June 10, 2014
[Fabrication of bioactive tissue engineering scaffold for reconstructing calcified cartilage layer based on
Xinning Yu1, Jinghua Fang1, Jianyang Luo1
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedics Research Institute of Zhejiang University, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310009, China.
Objective:
To fabricate organic-inorganic composite tissue engineering scaffolds for reconstructing calcified cartilage layer based on three-dimensional (3D) printing technique.
Methods:
The scaffolds were developed by 3D-printing technique with highly bioactive calcium-magnesium silicate ultrafine particles of 1%, 3% and 5% of mass fraction, in which the organic phases were composed of type I collagen and sodium hyaluronate. The 3D-printed scaffolds were then crosslinked and solidified by alginate and CaCl₂ aerosol. The pore size and distribution of inorganic phase were observed with scanning electron microscope (SEM); the mechanical properties were tested with universal material testing machine, and the porosity of scaffolds was also measured.
Results:
Pore size was approximately (212.3 ± 34.2) μm with a porosity of (48.3 ± 5.9)%, the compressive modulus of the scaffolds was (7.2 ± 1.2) MPa, which was irrelevant to the percentage changes of calcium-magnesium silicate, the compressive modulus was between that of cartilage and subchondral bone.
Conclusion:
The porous scaffolds for calcified cartilage layer have been successfully fabricated, which would be used for multi-layered composite scaffolds in osteochondral injury.
