Can engineered tissues repair bones and joints? This review explores the application of tissue engineering to treat orthopedic disorders, focusing on bone, ligament, and cartilage repair. As the population ages and sports-related injuries increase, musculoskeletal disorders have become a significant health concern in the United States. Tissue engineering offers a promising alternative to traditional treatments that rely on donor tissues and which may raise issues of supply, rejection, and disease transfer. Orthopedic surgeons and scientists are exploring tissue engineering to develop more effective treatments for musculoskeletal disorders. Tissue engineering combines engineering, biology, and chemistry principles to regenerate damaged tissues. The review discusses current methods and new tissue-engineering techniques for treating disorders affecting bone, ligament, and cartilage. The chapter presents an overview of current methods and emerging tissue-engineering techniques for treating bone, ligament, and cartilage disorders. Tissue engineering may provide a more effective treatment approach, paving the way for enhanced healing and functional restoration. The methods have significant implications for regenerative medicine and orthopedic practice.
This review, published in the Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, aligns with the journal's focus on covering significant advances in biomedical engineering. By providing an overview of tissue engineering techniques for orthopedic applications, it contributes to the journal's content on innovative approaches to treating musculoskeletal disorders, appealing to researchers and practitioners in this interdisciplinary field.