In situ minimally invasive 3D printing for bone and cartilage regeneration - a scoping review

Abstract

Advancements in personalized medicine, three-dimensional (3D) printing, miniaturization, and robot-assistedsurgery are driving innovation in tissue engineering. A novelapproach, known asin situprinting, focuses on the direct depo-sition of materials at the surgical site. Using thein situprintingapproach, bone and/or cartilage defects can be addressed withhigh precision. Furthermore, highly customized 3D printed tis-sue constructs or implants can be deposited directly insidethe body. Currently, most applications ofin situprinting arelimited to areas near the skin or open surgeries. Even thougha minimally invasive approach would bring clinical benefits,only a few research groups have focused on this field. In thisscoping review, we provide an overview of the current stateofin situminimally invasive 3D printing technology for boneand cartilage regeneration and discuss its advantages and cur-rent challenges.