Recent development in multizonal scaffolds for osteochondral regeneration.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Orthopedic Surgery

Background:

• Osteochondral (OC) defects pose significant challenges due to tissue complexity and limited self-repair.
• Current surgical treatments provide only temporary symptom relief for OC injuries.
• Tissue engineering strategies have emerged as a promising alternative for treating OC defects since the 1990s.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of recent advances in osteochondral repair using multizonal scaffolds (MZSs).
• To summarize current challenges and future perspectives in the field of MZSs for OC regeneration.
• To consolidate information on architecture design, material selection, manufacturing, and biological components for MZSs.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on multizonal scaffolds for osteochondral repair.
• Analysis of different scaffold types: bilayered, trilayered, multilayered, and gradient.
• Examination of critical factors including architecture, materials, manufacturing, growth factors, and cells.

Main Results:

• Multizonal scaffolds (MZSs) show potential for mimicking natural osteochondral tissue gradients.
• Various scaffold designs (bilayered, trilayered, multilayered, gradient) are being explored.
• Successful OC repair necessitates careful consideration of scaffold architecture, materials, manufacturing, and biological components.

Conclusions:

• MZSs represent a significant advancement in tissue engineering for osteochondral repair.
• Overcoming challenges in design, materials, and manufacturing is crucial for clinical translation.
• Future research should focus on optimizing MZSs for enhanced osteochondral regeneration and long-term outcomes.