Qualitative Aspects of Three-Dimensional Printing of Biomaterials Containing Devitalized Cartilage and Polycaprolactone

The aim of this study was to investigate the printability of different compositions of biomaterials to be potentially used in bioprinting of cartilaginous substitutes. Part of the compositions contained pulverized devitalized cartilage (DVC), which confers the necessary biochemical complexity for bioprinted scaffolds, and some compositions contained granulated polycaprolactone (PCL), that provides greater mechanical resistance to the scaffolds. An additive manufacturing equipment specially customized for bioprinting was used in the printing tests. In addition to bringing biochemical advantages, DVC increases consistency of scaffolds. PCL, on the other hand, has to be reduced to smaller granulometries for better results, since it has obstructed the printing needles. Modifications to the printer design have been suggested to make printing viable using high viscosity biomaterials and 0.41 mm or thinner needles, which may provide greater resolution and shorter distances for diffusion of nutrients and oxygen inside the scaffolds.