AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB026360393
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REVIEW ARTICLE
● Early Access

Advanced in situ bioprinting strategies for musculoskeletal injury repair

Sijia Yan1,2 ,  Qing Xu1,2 ,  Mufeng Li1,2*
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1 The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130022 , China
2 Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130022 , China
Received: 5 September 2026 | Revised: 27 October 2026 | Accepted: 2 October 2026 | Published online: 7 October 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

Musculoskeletal injuries often involve irregular geometries, heterogeneous tissue interfaces, and mechanical demands that challenge conventional grafts and prefabricated tissue-engineered constructs. In situ bioprinting seeks to address these constraints by coupling patient-specific imaging and path planning with direct deposition of cells, biomaterials, and bioactive cues within living defects. This review links intraoperative constraints to technology and bioink selection across musculoskeletal injuries, separating direct in vivo printing from enabling studies and distinguishing geometric feasibility, tissue formation, and functional recovery. Extrusion-, inkjet-, light-, laser-, and assembly-based strategies are compared in terms of printability, cellular exposure, spatial control, and compatibility with the operative environment. We further examine collagen, gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), alginate, hyaluronic acid derivatives, decellularized extracellular matrix, fibrin, cellulose-based materials, self-assembling peptides, mineral phases, and synthetic networks according to their biological and mechanical roles. Direct in vivo studies demonstrate the feasibility of conformal deposition and tissue formation in bone, cartilage, and temporalis muscle defects. Studies of vascularized constructs and tendon-bone interfaces provide additional evidence, largely from fabrication followed by implantation. However, small cohorts, short follow-up, and accessible or relatively low-load models predominate; durable mechanical and functional superiority over standard treatment remains unproven. Translation will require reliable intraoperative imaging and registration, wet-tissue fixation, vascular perfusion, sterile material exchange, closed-loop process control, scalable manufacturing, and clinically relevant large-animal comparisons. In situ bioprinting should therefore be developed as an integrated surgical platform that complements established reconstruction through digital planning, regenerative materials, and precise delivery. Standardized reporting and long-term functional endpoints are essential to establish clinical value.

Keywords
In situ bioprinting
Musculoskeletal injury
Bone regeneration
Osteochondral repair
Bioinks
Translational medicine
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing