Scaffold-Free Tissue Engineering in Osteochondral Restoration
摘要
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent disease characterized by joint pain, joint deformity, and functional disability, significantly impairing the quality of life for both young and elderly populations worldwide. Managing OA remains challenging and controversial. Although several clinical options are available for the treatment of OA, restoring damaged articular cartilage is difficult due to its limited healing capacity. However, with advancements in cell-based therapies, the development of functional biomaterials, and tissue engineering approaches, new therapeutic options for patients with osteoarthritic lesions are becoming potentially available. This chapter will summarize recent advances in tissue-engineered approaches that mimic the native osteochondral complex for osteochondral tissue regeneration. Additionally, we will highlight our novel technique using a biphasic implant composed of a scaffold-free mesenchymal stem cell-based tissue-engineered construct and artificial bone, discussing its feasibility for osteochondral repair.