Bioprinting for bone tissue engineering

Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is an interdisciplinary field that aims to create three-dimensional living scaffolds to substitute or study bone tissue. In the last decades, bioprinting techniques have almost replaced conventional techniques (e.g. freeze drying and gas foaming) in the fabrication of BTE scaffolds, due to their intrinsic capability to finely control architecture, and embed cells and bioactive molecules. In this work, we analyzed bioprinting technologies used in BTE, reporting the most significant literature case studies, and focusing also on in-vitro bone models. Finally, we introduced new and innovative trends, including in-situ bioprinting and four-dimensional printing, towards which bioprinting research is moving.

Automated summary

Bone tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field that aims to create three-dimensional living scaffolds, and bioprinting techniques have played a crucial role in this field. Bioprinting has almost replaced traditional techniques, allowing for precise control of scaffold architecture and the incorporation of cells and bioactive molecules.