Fundamentals on Osteochondral Tissue Engineering

The repair and regeneration of osteochondral (OC) defects has been increasing owing the high number of diseases, trauma and injuries. Although current clinical options are effective for the treatment of the OC lesions, new therapeutic options are necessary for the complete regeneration of the damaged articular cartilage which has a limited healing capacity. OC tissue engineering has been proposing advanced tools and technologies involving structured scaffolds, bioactive molecules, and cells for the repair and regeneration of the bone and cartilage tissues, as well as their interface. Multi-phased or stratified scaffolds with distinct bone and cartilage sections have been designed for OC repair. Diverse forms, as porous scaffolds, fibres, and hydrogels are the most commonly strategies used for OC tissue engineering. This chapter presents the current treatment and biomimetic strategies for OC tissue engineering. Structure and properties of the OC tissue are also briefly described.