Bioinspired Hyperboloid Mechanical Metamaterial for Shock Absorption and Strain Regulation in Cartilage Remodeling

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Biomedical Metamaterials

Background:

• Osteochondral defects require advanced regenerative strategies.
• Existing scaffolds often lack optimal mechanical properties for native tissue integration.
• Insect elytra inspire novel biomimetic designs for load dissipation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a hyperboloid lattice metamaterial scaffold.
• To create an osteochondral scaffold mimicking joint tissue mechanics.
• To investigate the scaffold's potential for cartilage and subchondral bone repair.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a hyperboloid lattice metamaterial integrated with a reticulation framework and GelMA hydrogel.
• Dynamic mechanical culture with compression-torsion stimulation.
• Assessment of stem cell differentiation (chondrogenic and osteogenic).
• In vivo evaluation in a rabbit osteochondral defect model.

Main Results:

• The hyperboloid lattice demonstrated unique compression-torsion coupling and shock absorption.
• Scaffold stimulated high-strain elastic deformation, promoting chondrogenesis in the hyperboloid zone.
• The reticulation zone facilitated osteogenesis.
• In vivo, scaffolds significantly enhanced cartilage and subchondral bone repair via NF-κB and calcium signaling pathways.

Conclusions:

• Hyperboloid metamaterial scaffolds offer effective shock absorption and strain regulation.
• These scaffolds promote integrative repair of cartilage and subchondral bone.
• The biomimetic design shows significant potential for cartilage tissue engineering and remodeling.