ABSTRACT
Musculoskeletal tissue injuries are one of the major health burdens affecting millions of people worldwide. Current treatment approaches for musculoskeletal injuries are only partially successful in combatting the tissue injury and its high disease burden. Musculoskeletal tissues are highly organized tissues with hierarchical structures ranging from nanoscale extracellular matrix components and microscale cells to macroscale tissues. When the musculoskeletal tissues are damaged beyond their own repair capability, external therapeutic interventions are needed to repair and regenerate the lost/damaged tissues. Since nanofibers can be considered as a physical mimic of native extracellular matrix (ECM) components of various musculoskeletal tissues, many studies have investigated the role of nanofibers in the regulation of cell fate processes. A wide variety of methods have been developed to fabricate nanotubes to meet the requirement of musculoskeletal tissue regeneration. A single material is most often unable to meet the complex requirements of a scaffold for repair and regeneration of damaged musculoskeletal tissues.
