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Biomaterials and scaffold design: key to tissue‐engineering cartilage
Author(s) -
Raghunath Joanne,
Rollo John,
Sales Kevin M.,
Butler Peter E.,
Seifalian Alexander M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
biotechnology and applied biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.468
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1470-8744
pISSN - 0885-4513
DOI - 10.1042/ba20060134
Subject(s) - scaffold , tissue engineering , fibrocartilage , cartilage , biocompatibility , materials science , biomedical engineering , fabrication , articular cartilage , nanotechnology , anatomy , engineering , biology , osteoarthritis , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , metallurgy
Cartilage remains one of the most challenging tissues to reconstruct or replace, owing to its complex geometry in facial structures and mechanical strength at articular surfaces in joints. This non‐vascular tissue has poor replicative capacity and damage results in its functionally inferior repair tissue, fibrocartilage. This has led to a drive for advancements in tissue engineering. The variety of polymers and fabrication techniques available continues to expand. Pore size, porosity, biocompatibility, shape specificity, integration with native tissue, degradation tailored to rate of neocartilage formation and cost efficiency are important factors which need consideration in the development of a scaffold. The present review considers the current polymers and fabrication methodologies used in scaffold engineering for cartilage and postulates whether we are closer to developing the ideal scaffold for clinical application.