biostudies-literatureSteele JAMMedical Research CouncilWellcome Trust121548https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7615488biostudies-literatureUnknown286Articular cartilage is comprised of zones that vary in architecture, extracellular matrix composition, and mechanical properties. Here, we designed and engineered a porous zonal microstructured scaffold from a single biocompatible polymer (poly [ϵ-caprolactone]) using multiple fabrication strategies: electrospinning, spherical porogen leaching, directional freezing, and melt electrowriting. With this approach we mimicked the zonal structure of articular cartilage and produced a stiffness gradient through the scaffold which aligns with the mechanics of the native tissue. Chondrocyte-seeded scaffolds accumulated extracellular matrix including glycosaminoglycans and collagen II over four weeks in vitro. This prompted us to further study the repair efficacy in a skeletally mature porcine modelBiomaterialsIn vitro and in vivo investigation of a zonal microstructured scaffold for osteochondral defect repair.PMC7615488088844208858098411/Z/12/Z098411208858/Z/17/ZMR/R015651/1Klein THorgan CCGormley AJBlack CRWoodruff MASteck RStevens MMMoore ACMcCullen SDSt-Pierre JPRen JSteele JAMMeinert CSaifzadeh SfalseIn vitro and in vivo investigation of a zonal microstructured scaffold for osteochondral defect repair.Articular cartilage is comprised of zones that vary in architecture, extracellular matrix composition, and mechanical properties. Here, we designed and engineered a porous zonal microstructured scaffold from a single biocompatible polymer (poly [ϵ-caprolactone]) using multiple fabrication strategies: electrospinning, spherical porogen leaching, directional freezing, and melt electrowriting. With this approach we mimicked the zonal structure of articular cartilage and produced a stiffness gradient through the scaffold which aligns with the mechanics of the native tissue. Chondrocyte-seeded scaffolds accumulated extracellular matrix including glycosaminoglycans and collagen II over four weeks in vitro. This prompted us to further study the repair efficacy in a skeletally mature porcine model2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Jul2025-04-18T18:45:17.157Z2025-02-19T01:20:13.625ZS-EPMC76154883558868810.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121548