Scaffolds in tissue engineering bone and cartilage

Abstract

This chapter discusses Scaffolds in tissue engineering bone and cartilage. Musculoskeletal tissue, bone and cartilage are under extensive investigation in tissue engineering research. A number of biodegradable and bioresorbable materials, as well as scaffold designs have been experimentally and/or clinically studied. Ideally, a scaffold should have the following characteristics: (i) three-dimensional and highly porous with an interconnected pore network for cell growth and flow transport of nutrients and metabolic waste; (ii) biocompatible and bioresorbable with a controllable degradation and resorption rate to match cell/tissue growth in vitro and/or in vivo; (iii) suitable surface chemistry for cell attachment, proliferation, and differentation and (iv) mechanical properties to match those of the tissues at the site of implantation. This chapter reviews research on the tissue engineering of bone and cartilage from the polymeric scaffold point of view. This chapter concludes that a polymeric scaffold material should permit application of a solid-free form fabrication technology, so that a porous scaffold with any desired 3D geometry can be designed and fabricated by using CT and MRI data. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.