The Principle and Practical Progress of 3D Printing Technology in Knee Joint and Meniscus

Repairing meniscus tears poses significant challenges, impacting normal knee joint movement and potentially leading to secondary osteoarthritis over time. The limited availability of donor tissue, coupled with issues such as graft rejection, results in an inadequate supply for meniscus tissue replacement and regeneration in patients. This context has led to the development of regenerative scaffolds. Advances in 3D printing technology for cartilage tissue regeneration have enabled the creation of intricate meniscus scaffolds with high precision and biological activity. These scaffolds effectively mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cartilage, ultimately facilitating meniscus regeneration by providing structural support and promoting cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation. This paper primarily discusses the applications of 3D printed meniscus tissue engineering scaffolds in regenerative medicine, introducing and comparing various examples of 3D printing technologies and raw materials. Additionally, we examine the performance requirements for meniscus scaffolds, address existing challenges and limitations, and consider prospects in this field.