TissueEngineeringofCartilageandBone

Tissueengineeringtakesadvantagesofthecombineduseofculturedlivingcellsandthree-dimensionalscaffoldstoreconstructadulttissuesthatareabsentormalfunctioning.Thisbookbringstogetherscientistsandcliniciansworkingonavarietyofapproachesforregeneratingofdamagedorlostcartilageandbonetoassesstheprogressofthisdynamicfield.Initsearlydays,tissueengineeringwasdrivenbymaterialscientistswhodesignednovelbio-resorbablescaffoldsonwhichtoseedcellsandgrowtissues.Thisground-breakingworkgeneratedhighexpectations,buttherehavebeensignificantstumblingblocksholdingbackthewidespreaduseofthesetechniquesintheclinic.Thesechallenges,andpotentialwaysofovercomingthem,aregiventhoroughcoverageinthediscussionsthatfolloweachchapter.Thekeyquestionsaddressedinthisbookincludethefollowing.Howgoodmustcartilagerepairbeforittobeworthwhile?Whatisthebestsourceofcellsfortissueengineeringofbothboneandcartilage?Whicharethemosteffectivecellscaffolds?Whatarethebestpreclinicalmodelsforthesetechnologies?Andwhenitcomestoclinicaltrials,whatsortofoutcomemeasuresshouldbeused?Withcontributionsfromsomeoftheleadingexpertsinthisfield,thistimelypublicationwillproveessentialreadingforanyonewithaninterestinthefieldoftissueengineering.