3D PRINTED MULTILAYERED / INTERFACIAL SCAFFOLDS FOR OSTEOCHONDRAL REGENERATION

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is a highly prevalent rheumatic musculoskeletal disorder that primarily affects the knee joint. This disease is characterized by the progressive breakdown of the articular cartilage and remodeling of the subchondral bone in the synovial joint. Repetitive overloading perpetuates the damage to the affected cartilage and undermines the structural integrity of the osteochondral unit. Despite much research in osteochondral tissue engineering, no particular strategy has stood out as a potential alternative to conventional treatment options. One major issue that arises during osteochondral regeneration is that the defect site is exposed to a significant physiological load. To overcome these challenges, various tissue engineering strategies have been employed to design multiphasic osteochondral scaffolds that recapitulate layer-specific biomechanical properties. However, multilayered scaffolds have failed to fully satisfy the mechanical requirements to persists within the osteochondral defect. Through the use of extrusion-based bioprinting, we attempt to fabricate a biphasic osteochondral scaffold with improved load-bearing properties and a mechanically strong interface.