ABSTRACT
Tendon injuries are very frequent and are often repaired with autografts, allografts, xenografts, or tissue-engineered tendon grafts. With the rising field of tissue engineering, bioreactors became useful tools. Bioreactors are devices in which biological and/or biochemical processes can be recreated in a highly controlled in vitro culture environment. Using these bioreactors, it is possible to study tendon physiology and pathophysiology but also the mechanical and biological factors that regulate tendon formation, homeostasis, or degeneration. Currently, bioreactors are also used to create novel tissue-engineered constructs for clinical applications or as in vitro model systems to predict in vivo outcomes of engineered constructs. In this chapter, bioreactors that provide the possibility for applying mechanical loading to tendon constructs will be discussed, together with the ways in which these bioreactors are used and can be used.
