Research progress of in-situ three dimensional bio-printing technology for repairing bone and cartilage injuries

Abstract

To review the research progress of in-situ three dimensional (3D) bio-printing technology in the repair of bone and cartilage injuries. Literature on the application of in-situ 3D bio-printing technology to repair bone and cartilage injuries at home and abroad in recent years was reviewed, analyzed, and summarized. As a new tissue engineering technology, in-situ 3D bio-printing technology is mainly applied to repair bone, cartilage, and skin tissue injuries. By combining biomaterials, bioactive substances, and cells, tissue is printed directly at the site of injury or defect. At present, the research on the technology mainly focuses on printing mode, bio-ink, and printing technology; the application research in the field of bone and cartilage mainly focuses on pre-vascularization, adjusting the composition of bio-ink, improving scaffold structure, printing technology, loading drugs, cells, and bioactive factors, so as to promote tissue injury repair. Multiple animal experiments have confirmed that in-situ 3D bio-printing technology can construct bone and cartilage tissue grafts in a real-time, rapid, and minimally invasive manner. In the future, it is necessary to continue to develop bio-inks suitable for specific tissue grafts, as well as combine with robotics, fusion imaging, and computer-aided medicine to improve printing efficiency.