ABSTRACT
Bone tissue engineering utilizes scaffolds to deliver biofactors including cells, genes, and proteins to regenerate bone. The scaffold itself must fulfill three primary functions to ensure successful treatment of bone defects. First, the scaffold must provide the correct anatomic geometry to define and maintain the space for tissue regeneration. Second, the scaffold must provide temporary mechanical load bearing within the tissue defect. This second function is especially critical if the scaffold/biofactor construct is directly implanted without prior incubation in a bioreactor. Third, the scaffold should enhance the regenerative capability of the chosen biofactor. The difficulty in designing scaffolds is that the three primary functions often pose conflicting design requirements.
