AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB026350370
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REVIEW ARTICLE
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Intelligent 3D bioprinting platforms for complex bone-tissue interfaces: Mechanisms, biofabrication, and regenerative applications

Xiangran Cui1,2 Pan Xue3 Wei Wei1,2 Zhaoyu Liang4* Tingting Zhou1* Shixuan Wang1,2*
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1 Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang 110847, Liaoning Province , China
2 Department of Orthopedic, Second Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang, Liaoning , China
3 Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dazhou Vocational College of Chinese Medicine, Dazhou, 635000, Sichuan , China
4 Department of Orthopedics, First Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning , China
Received: 1 August 2026 | Revised: 25 August 2026 | Accepted: 11 September 2026 | Published online: 16 September 2026
© 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-tissue interfaces—including both anatomically-defined structures (osteochondral, tendon-to-bone, ligament-to-bone) with characteristic compositional gradients, and functional biological interactions (bone-immune, bone-vascular, bone-nerve that regulate systemic regenerative processes)—represent critical repair targets. Traditional strategies fail due to mechanical mismatch and poor integration. 3D bioprinting enables precise, patient-specific construction of multi-gradient scaffolds through co-deposition of diverse biomaterials and cell types, transcending structural mimicry to coordinate multilineage differentiation and microenvironmental regulation. This review systematically synthesizes advances in six interface categories, moving beyond study-by-study description to comparative analysis. We distinguish structural approaches (pore regulation, fiber reinforcement, microchannels) that primarily improve biomimicry from bioactive strategies (growth factors, hypoxia, immunomodulation) that direct cell fate, clarify experimental validation levels (in vitro vs. animal models), and delineate appropriate clinical scenarios. Key bottlenecks include insufficient deep vascularization, temporal immune regulation mismatches, and mechanical integration unpredictability. Future directions encompassing organ-on-chip integration, AI-driven personalization, and organoid-inspired self-organization are outlined. 3D bioprinting emerges as a unified platform for both anatomical interface reconstruction and functional biological orchestration in regenerative medicine.

Keywords
3D bioprinting
Bone-tissue interfaces
Tissue engineering
Regenerative medicine
Bioactive materials
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing