BIOIMPRESSÃO 3D PARA REGENERAÇÃO OSTEOCONDRAL: UMA REVISÃO INTEGRATIVA DE LITERATURA

The 3D bioprinting of autologous chondrocyte implants in knee lesions represents an innovative and promising approach for the regeneration of damaged articular cartilage, as it allows for the creation of customized implants from the patient’s own cells, providing a targeted treatment for this condition. The objective of this study is to explore the potential of 3D bioprinting in regenerating the osteochondral interface, analyzing the technique’s advancements, challenges, and future perspectives. The methodology employed consists of an integrative literature review, using descriptors in Portuguese and English in databases such as LILACS, PubMed, SciELO, IBECs, and MEDLINE, with a focus on articles published over the last 10 years. The analysis indicates that the development of 3D technology, coupled with a deeper understanding of the osteochondral structure, has opened new possibilities for regenerating not only the articular cartilage but also the subchondral bone and the smooth interfaces between them. Although natural materials were initially the first choice for scaffold construction, their limitations led to the use of natural and artificial polymer-based compounds, which now dominate research in the field due to the complexity of the bone-cartilage interface, where regeneration must consider both articular cartilage and subchondral bone. With the obsolescence of monolayer structures, much research has advanced with the development of two- and three-layer scaffolds that mimic the osteochondral cartilage and the bone layer structures, including areas of calcified cartilage and tide mark. These structures are often combined with specific tissue cells, such as osteoblasts for bone and chondrocytes for cartilage, or BMSCs (bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells), with selected growth factors to promote migration, proliferation, and differentiation of seed cells to form osteochondral tissue. It is concluded that the creation of scaffolds with mechanical gradients, associated with biogradients with controlled release of bioactive factors, offers a promising approach for the effective formation of osteochondral interfaces in 3D bioprinting, standing out as a technique that could transform the treatment of articular lesions in the near future.