Nanocomposite-cartilage scaffold

Electrospun fibers have also been researched for cartilage regeneration procedures. Thorvaldsson et al. (2(X)8) used a combination of micro- and nanofibers to create novel fiber structures. This enhanced the pore structure characteristics of the fabricated scaffold. The synthesized scaffold enhanced the human chondrocyte infiltration. Nanocomposites consisting of multiwalled carbon nanombes (MWCNTs) and PLA were fabricated using electrospinning. The nanocomposite material displayed enhanced mechanical properties and improved the chondrogenesis of MSCs (Holmes et al., 2013). 

Chahine, N.O., et al., 2014. Nanocomposite scaffold for chondrocyte growth and cartilage tissue engineering effects of carbon nanotube surface functionalization. Tissue Engineering. Part A 20 (17-18), 2305-2315. Available at http //www.ncbi.nbn.nih.gov/pubmed/24593020 (accessed 08.10.14.). 

Nanocomposites in orthopedic tissue engineering mimic the complex nanoarchitecture of natural bone, muscle, cartilage, and tendon tissue, providing a novel and practical approach to tissue regeneration. All ceramic, polymer, and metallic matrix nanocomposites offer a wide range of properties with different chemical and mechanical features they also exhibit indispensable bioactivity. There is a great potential to improve current biomaterials and nanocomposite scaffolds for musculoskeletal tissue regeneration. However, the variety of different chemical elements and structures of nanocomposites make it difficult to predict unknown outcomes of exposure to musculoskeletal tissue. More research is clearly needed to fully understand favorable nanocomposite chemistries for musculoskeletal tissue. 

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