Research on the Construction of Microtia Repair Scaffold Based on 3D Bioprinting Technology

Abstract

Microtia is a congenital auricular hypoplasia, clinically characterized by partial or complete loss of the auricle. This condition not only affects patients' hearing function but also significantly negatively impacts their psychological and social adaptation. Current mainstream treatments include autologous rib cartilage transplantation and implantation of artificial materials, but these are associated with issues such as secondary damage to the donor site, implant exposure, and insufficient morphological fidelity. Recent advances in 3D bioprinting technology have provided a new avenue for constructing highly compatible and biocompatible auricle scaffolds. This study focused on the use of 3D bioprinting technology to fabricate personalized auricle repair scaffolds and systematically evaluated their potential in terms of morphological fidelity, mechanical properties, and biological function. The research method primarily involved: first, 3D reconstruction using patient CT imaging data accurately reproduced the ear anatomy; then, using polycaprolactone (PEL) and gelatin-methacrylamide (GelMA) as the base materials, a composite scaffold with a hierarchical structure was fabricated using a combination of fused deposition modeling (FDM) and photopolymerization techniques; and then, using an in vitro chondrocyte co-culture system, the scaffold's cytocompatibility and chondrogenic efficacy were systematically evaluated. Experimental results show that the prepared scaffold is highly consistent with the complex curved surface of the ear in terms of morphology, has mechanical properties close to those of natural ear cartilage, presents a uniform and interconnected porous structure inside, and its degradation behavior can also be effectively controlled. Cell experiments showed that the surface of the scaffold is conducive to cell adhesion and extension, cell proliferation activity is significantly enhanced, and it can promote the synthesis and deposition of key extracellular matrix components such as collagen fibers and glycosaminoglycans. The above results indicate that the scaffold has good application potential in the field of cartilage regeneration. In summary, the strategy of constructing personalized auricle scaffolds based on 3D bioprinting technology provides a promising new approach for the functional repair of microtia.