AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB026230236
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REVIEW ARTICLE
Early Access

Convergence of 3D bioprinting, bone organoids, and organ-on-chip systems for orthopedic disease modeling and regenerative applications

Weida Li1,2,3 Yi Wang1,2,3 Yue Cui1,2,3 Xinbiao Ma1,2,3 Qiuyu Zhu1,2,3 Hongyu Chen1,2 Fangda Gan4 Qiang Wu1,2 Zuyan Lu1,2* Ye Sun1,2,3* Yongqiang Hao1,2*
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1 Shanghai Key Laboratory of Orthopaedic Implants, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China
2 Clinical and Translational Research Center for 3D Printing Technology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China
3 Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu, 210029, China
4 Faculty of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Mcgill University, Québec, 001579, Canada
Received: 4 June 2026 | Revised: 25 June 2026 | Accepted: 26 June 2026 | Published online: 26 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D Printing in Clinical Application)
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
Abstract

Bone disorders remain difficult to model because native bone is a mineralized, vascularized, mechanosensitive, and multicellular organ whose remodeling depends on tightly coordinated matrix, transport, biochemical, and mechanical cues. This review examines how 3D bioprinting-enabled bone organoids and organ-on-chip systems can be integrated to construct more physiologically relevant platforms for orthopedic research. Unlike previous reviews that discuss bone organoids, 3D bioprinting, or bone-on-chip systems as separate technologies, this review addresses the conceptual and translational gap between biological self-organization, programmable biofabrication, and dynamic microphysiological regulation in orthopedic modeling. We synthesize current advances in bone microenvironment modeling, focusing on organoid-based biomimicry, programmable scaffold fabrication, perfusable and mechanically active chip systems, and disease-oriented applications. The analysis shows that 3D bioprinting transforms bone microenvironment reconstruction from empirical scaffold fabrication into a controllable strategy in which matrix composition, pore architecture, mineralization, vascular-like channels, multicellular organization, and biochemical patterning can be systematically engineered. Organ-on-chip platforms further enhance these constructs by introducing dynamic perfusion, mechanical stimulation, compartmentalized crosstalk, and disease-relevant microenvironmental regulation. Together, these technologies support emerging applications in bone defect repair, osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease modeling, osteoarthritis and osteochondral interface reconstruction, and bone tumor or metastasis research. Despite persistent limitations in tissue maturation, vascular hierarchy, immune and hematopoietic integration, long-term stability, and standardization, the convergence of organoids, 3D bioprinting, and microphysiological systems provides a versatile foundation for mechanistic studies, drug evaluation, personalized therapeutic testing, and future regenerative strategies in orthopedics.

Keywords
3D bioprinting
Bone organoids
Organ-on-a-chip
Bone microenvironment
Orthopedic disease modeling
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing