Bioactive scaffolds for bone and ligament tissue

Authors: Guarino, Vincenzo; Causa, Filippo; Ambrosio, Luigi

Source: Expert Review of Medical Devices, Volume 4, Number 3, May 2007 , pp. 405-418(14)

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Abstract:

Bone and ligament injuries present the greatest challenges in connective tissue regeneration. The design of materials for these applications lies at the forefront of material science and is the epitome of its current ambition. Indeed, its goal is to design and fabricate reproducible, bioactive and bioresorbable 3D scaffolds with tailored properties that are able to maintain their structure and integrity for predictable times, even under load-bearing conditions. Unfortunately, the mechanical properties of today's available porous scaffolds fall short of those exhibited by complex human tissues, such as bone and ligament. The manipulation of structural parameters in the design of scaffolds and their bioactivation, through the incorporation of soluble and insoluble signals capable of promoting cell activities, are discussed as possible strategies to improve the formation of new tissues both in vitro and in vivo. This review focuses on the different approaches adopted to develop bioactive composite systems for use as temporary scaffolds for bone and anterior ligament regeneration.

Keywords: biodegradable polymers; bone; composites; ligament; scaffolds; tissue engineering

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1586/17434440.4.3.405

Publication date: 2007-05-01

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