Musculoskeletal disorders and injuries are a leading cause of disability worldwide, severely affecting quality of life and creating a significant socioeconomic burden. Current clinical treatments for bone, cartilage, and muscle defects often fail to restore full function because of the limited regenerative capacity and structural complexity of these tissues. Biofabrication has emerged as a transformative approach to address these challenges, enabling the design and assembly of biomaterials, cells, and bioactive molecules into functional three-dimensional constructs that replicate the native musculoskeletal microenvironment.
Recent advances are reshaping the field of musculoskeletal tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Techniques such as 3D printing and bioprinting now allow for precise control over architecture and functionality, supporting the creation of patient-specific constructs. At the same time, innovations in bioinks, biomaterials, and bioinspired scaffold design are improving mechanical performance, enhancing cellular activity, and providing biological cues for repair. Microcarrier-based systems and dynamic culture platforms, including bioreactors, are also advancing controlled cell expansion, tissue maturation, and functional construct assembly, thereby helping to bridge the gap between laboratory research and translational applications.
This Research Topic seeks to highlight innovative strategies and emerging directions in musculoskeletal biofabrication. We invite contributions that address the design, validation, and application of biofabricated systems for musculoskeletal tissues such as bone, cartilage, and muscle regeneration, with a focus on approaches that integrate biofabrication techniques, material science, bioengineering, and mechanobiology.
Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
• 3D printing and bioprinting for musculoskeletal repair • Development, characterization, and advanced synthesis of bioinks and biomaterials for musculoskeletal regeneration • In vitro and in vivo validation of biofabricated musculoskeletal constructs • Biofabrication strategies integrating mechanobiological cues • Bioreactor systems for in vitro conditioning of biofabricated constructs in musculoskeletal cell expansion and regeneration • Preclinical and in vivo evaluation of biofabricated constructs for musculoskeletal applications
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Case Report
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Article types
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
Brief Research Report
Case Report
Data Report
Editorial
FAIR² Data
FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
General Commentary
Hypothesis and Theory
Methods
Mini Review
Opinion
Original Research
Perspective
Policy and Practice Reviews
Policy Brief
Review
Systematic Review
Technology and Code
Keywords: biofabrication, musculoskeletal regeneration, bone and cartilage repair, muscle tissue engineering, mechanobiology
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
