Construction of bionic tissue engineering cartilage scaffold based on three-dimensional printing and oriented frozen...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Orthopedic Research

Background:

• Articular cartilage (AC) exhibits complex gradient properties in mechanics and histology.
• AC possesses limited intrinsic regeneration capacity, presenting significant clinical and research challenges.
• Existing repair strategies often fail to replicate the native AC's intricate structure and function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel gradient scaffold for articular cartilage repair.
• To create a bionic scaffold mimicking the mechanical and histological gradients of native AC.
• To optimize scaffold design for enhanced cell integration and clinical applicability.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a three-layer gradient scaffold using 3D printing of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA).
• Incorporation of decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) and directional freezing to achieve gradient microstructure and pore architecture.
• Quantitative optimization of mechanical properties (Young's and shear modulus) using material mechanics principles.

Main Results:

• The fabricated scaffold demonstrated mechanical strength comparable to native articular cartilage.
• Achieved precise control over mechanical properties and interface stability through a one-time molding process.
• Successfully created bionic gradient microstructures and pore sizes, with tunable stratification ratios via controlled freezing.

Conclusions:

• The study presents an effective method for optimizing AC scaffolds based on both mechanical and histological bionics.
• The developed gradient scaffold offers a promising platform for articular cartilage repair.
• This work holds significance for advancing cell culture techniques and clinical transplantation strategies in cartilage regeneration.