ABSTRACT
Articular cartilage failure is currently a cause of much morbidity and patient suffering, and few solutions currently exist for any but the smallest defects. Though articular cartilage is relatively thin, avascular, and aneural,
replacement through tissue engineering still remains elusive. However, the field of tissue engineering has entered an exponential phase of growth and discovery, in particular in terms of elucidating the effects of the mechanical and biochemical environment on chondrocytes, as well as the synergy of the two.
