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With the development of biomedical engineering, the preparation of hydrogels with combined extreme mechanical properties similar to those of some biological hydrogels becomes an important research topic for scientists. In this work, a single-network hydrogel with combined extreme mechanical properties is prepared through a simple and universal method, wherein the strength, elongation at break, toughness, and fracture energy of the hydrogel WPU-3PAAm-6PAN are achieved at 24.7 MPa, 544.0%, 68.9 MJ m–3, and 37.2 kJ m–2, respectively. Herein, a series of photosensitive resins in emulsion form are synthesized, and due to the water–oil diphasic characteristic, hydrophobic monomers and high-efficient hydrophobic photo-initiators are adopted into the resins, which can significantly improve the mechanical properties of the hydrogels due to the hydrophobic association effect and solve the biggest barrier of low curing rate in digital light processing (DLP) fabrication of hydrogels, respectively. Moreover, the simple and facile method to obtain robust and tough hydrogels can be universally applied to other polymer systems. Combined with the excellent mechanical properties and printing ability, the hydrogels with optimized structures are fabricated through DLP printing technology and applied as tendon substitutes. The tendon substitutes exhibit superior performance for mechanical connection and regeneration of collagen fibers. Although further clinical research is required, the hydrogels have great potential applications in various biological areas.

Meniscus damage is a common trauma that often arises from sports injuries or menisci tissue degeneration. Current treatment methods focus on the repair, replacement, and regeneration of the meniscus to restore its original function. The advance of tissue engineering provides a novel approach to restore the unique structure of the meniscus. Recently, mesenchymal stem cells found in tissues including bone marrow, peripheral blood, fat, and articular cavity synovium have shown specific advantages in meniscus repair. Although various studies explore the use of stem cells in repairing meniscal injuries from different sources and demonstrate their potential for chondrogenic differentiation, their meniscal cartilage-forming properties are yet to be systematically compared. Therefore, this review aims to summarize and compare different sources of mesenchymal stem cells for meniscal repair and regeneration.

Background:The combination of navigational system and robotics has the potential to accurately identify and drill bone tunnels in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. This study explores the feasibility and accuracy of bone tunnel positioning using the TiRobot, an orthopaedic surgical robot. Methods:The experiment was divided into two groups. In group A, the bone tunnels were positioned using the TiRobot surgical robot (n = 8). In group B, handheld locators were used for positioning (n = 8).Results: TiRobot can be used for positioning the ACL bone tunnel. The accuracy of positioning the femoral tunnel in group A and B was 1.00 � 0.20 and 3.10 � 0.59 mm, respectively (t = −9.49, P < 0.001). As for tibial tunnel, the accuracy was 1.02 � 0.20 and 2.64 � 0.14 mm, respectively (t = −18.54, P < 0.001). Conclusions:The bone tunnel drilling precision using TiRobot for ACL reconstruction surgery was more accurate than traditional surgical techniques.