BIOFABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MENISCAL SCAFFOLDS VIA AN ELECTROHYDRODYNAMIC JET PRINTING TECHNIQUE

Abstract

CLINICAL NEEDS IN MENISCAL INJURIES HAVE LED TO THE SEARCH FOR A TISSUE-ENGINEERED BIOMETRIC SCAFFOLD THAT CAN REPLACE DAMAGED MENISCUS, BOTH ANATOMICALLY AND FUNCTIONALLY. EXISTING SCAFFOLDING TECHNOLOGIES HAVE YET TO YIELD SUSTAINED, RELIABLE LONG-TERM RESULTS DUE TO THE INABILITY TO PRODUCE THE COMPLEX NATURAL MENISCAL INTERNAL STRUCTURE. ELECTROHYDRODYNAMIC-BASED PRINTING TECHNOLOGIES HAVE ATTRACTED SIGNIFICANT INTEREST FOR TISSUE ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS DUE TO THEIR HIGH RESOLUTION, EFFICIENCY AND RELATIVELY EASY SETUP. IN THIS STUDY, AN IMPROVED SOLVENT-BASED ELECTROHYDRODYNAMIC JET PRINTING (E-JETTING) TECHNIQUE WAS DEVELOPED TO CREATE ORIENTED, HIGH-RESOLUTION POLYCAPROLACTONE (PCL) FIBERS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT E-JETTING TECHNIQUE WAS EMPLOYED TO BUILD THREE-DIMENSIONAL (3D) WEDGE-SHAPED MENISCAL SCAFFOLDS, WITH A TAILORED INTERNAL 3D MICROSTRUCTURE, REPLICATING THE NATURAL MENISCUS.