Advances in chitosan/gelatin scaffold design: Bridging manufacturing, crosslinking, and structure - Function dynamics

Chitosan and gelatin-based scaffolds continue to attract considerable attention in tissue engineering due to their biocompatibility and versatile functionalization potential. However, a systematic understanding of how fabrication methods and crosslinking strategies synergistically modulate scaffold architecture and performance remains fragmented. This review provides an integrated and critical analysis of recent advances in processing techniques, including emerging approaches such as hybrid fabrication, additive manufacturing, and advanced crosslinking chemistries, and their direct impact on scaffold microstructure, porosity, and mechanical integrity. Special emphasis is placed on correlating these structure-property relationships with the specific biomechanical and biological demands of various tissue engineering applications. By consolidating current knowledge and highlighting innovative trends, this review provides a comprehensive roadmap for the rational design of next-generation chitosan-gelatin scaffolds with optimized functional properties, tailored for clinical translation.