Cartilage is an avascular tissue with extremely limited self-regeneration capabilities. At
present, there are no existing treatments that effectively stop the deterioration of cartilage or reverse
its effects; current treatments merely relieve its symptoms and surgical intervention is required when
the condition aggravates. Thus, cartilage damage remains an ongoing challenge in orthopaedics with
an urgent need for improved treatment options. In recent years, major advances have been made in
the development of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinted constructs for cartilage repair applications. 3D
bioprinting is an evolutionary additive manufacturing technique that enables the precisely controlled
deposition of a combination of biomaterials, cells, and bioactive molecules, collectively known
as bioink, layer-by-layer to produce constructs that simulate the structure and function of native
cartilage tissue. This review provides an insight into the current developments in 3D bioprinting for
cartilage tissue engineering. The bioink and construct properties required for successful application
in cartilage repair applications are highlighted. Furthermore, the potential for translation of 3D
bioprinted constructs to the clinic is discussed. Overall, 3D bioprinting demonstrates great potential
as a novel technique for the fabrication of tissue engineered constructs for cartilage regeneration,
with distinct advantages over conventional techniques.
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Centre for Research Training in Artificial Intelligence, Grant number 18/CRT/6223, Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) under Grant Number SFI/12/RC/2289_P2, European Regional Development Fund
ID Code:
29274
Deposited On:
07 Feb 2024 12:10 by
Thomas Murtagh
. Last Modified 07 Feb 2024 13:49