Three Dimensional Printing-Based Strategies for Functional Cartilage Regeneration.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Cartilage defects pose significant clinical challenges.
• Current cartilage repair strategies have limitations.
• Tissue engineering offers a promising alternative for cartilage regeneration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the applications of three-dimensional printing in cartilage tissue engineering.
• To summarize the strengths and limitations of current three-dimensional printing techniques for cartilage repair.
• To highlight future directions for functional cartilage regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of studies utilizing three-dimensional printing for cartilage tissue engineering.
• Analysis of applications across different anatomical locations.
• Evaluation of the strengths and limitations of various three-dimensional printing approaches.

Main Results:

• Three-dimensional printing has been successfully applied in cartilage tissue engineering at multiple anatomical sites.
• Specific strengths and limitations were identified for different three-dimensional printing techniques and applications.
• The review synthesizes current knowledge on the use of three-dimensional printing for cartilage regeneration.

Conclusions:

• Three-dimensional printing is a valuable tool for cartilage tissue engineering.
• The four-dimensional concept and biological microenvironment are crucial for future functional cartilage regeneration.
• This review provides insights for developing anisotropic tissue-engineered organs and tissues.