Advances in Clinical Implications of 3D Printing for Osteochondral Regeneration

Osteochondral (OC) diseases, which usually occur as a result of the sedentary life brought by today's conditions, lead to a painful and uncomfortable life, especially in later ages. Although there are many non-invasive and invasive methods for the elimination of osteochondral damage, none of them provide full recovery. For this reason, approaches that include advanced tissue engineering techniques are being put forward for the permanent treatment of damage by mimicking the natural tissue architecture. This chapter highlights preclinical and clinical advancements in OC tissue regeneration mainly focused on 3D printing. First, the cellular structure and composition of OC tissue are explained. Next, current strategies for the fabrication of 3D-printed scaffold OC tissue are discussed. Finally, the clinical applications of 3D-printed scaffolds are presented.