Osteochondral Tissue Engineering — Regeneration of Articular Condyle from Mesenchymal Stem Cells

I. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 545

II. Computer-Aided Scaffolding and Molding Approaches ............................................... 546

III. Scaffold Materials and Design ....................................................................................... 549

IV. Mechanical Modulation of Chondrogenic and Osteogenic Process ............................. 550

V. Representative Tissue Engineering of Human Articular Condyles

from Adult Stem Cells ................................................................................................... 552

VI. Conclusions and Future Perspectives ............................................................................ 559

Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... 559

References ................................................................................................................................... 559

Human motion is made possible by synovial joints. Not only do synovial joints allow the movement

of articulating bones, but they serve to distribute functional loading during daily activities. A

typical synovial joint is composed of two articular condyles enclosed in a joint capsule, stabilized

by ligaments, and powered by skeletal muscles that are attached to bones via tendons.

Unequivocally, synovial joint components must function in unison for a wide variety of human

motions. Structural deficiency of joint components may result in accumulative failure of the entire

joint. Arthritis, which encompasses more than 100 diseases and conditions, is now recognized as the

leading cause of physical disability worldwide. Approximately 70 million adults in the United

States alone suffer from some form of arthritis or chronic joint symptoms;