Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
mimicking a “Mother Nature” extracellular matrix (ECM). This
handbookintroducestherecent trendsinthedevelopmentofbio-
materials and the fabrication methods of regenerative medicinal
and tissue-engineered “intelligent” scaffolds.
In summary, in order to approach a more natural, three-
dimensional(3D)environment,researchescombinedbiology,bio-
chemistry,materialengineering,clinicalbenchsidework,etc.,with
multidisciplinary networks and have attempted to redesign scaf-
folds that will support biological signals for tissue growth and
reorganization.
1.1 Introduction
It has been recognized that regenerative medicine and tissue engi-
neering offer an alternative technique to whole-organ and tissue
transplantation for diseased, failed, or malfunctioning organs. Mil-
lions of patients suffer from end-stage organ failure or tissue loss
annually. In the United States alone, at least eight million surgical
operationshavebeencarriedouteachyear,requiringatotalnational
health care cost exceeding $400 billion annually.
1
−
3
In case of carti-
lage disease, each year in the United States, surgery is performed
on more than three million knees, hips, and other joints. Around
69% of American adults suffer from arthritis, which is frequently
caused by cartilage damage because of sports injury, other trauma,
and/or simply overuse. These degenerations of cartilage combined
with its inability to self-repair leads to further degradation of the
joints. In the head and the neck, similarly with cartilage disease,
cartilage replacement or repair is needed for degenerative disease,
traumatic injury, or agenesis. Over 500,000 patients need a surgi-
cal procedure as cartilage replacement. Similarly, septal reconstruc-
tion, auricular reconstruction, and laryngotracheal reconstruction
require cartilage parts inpatients.
Currentclinicalproceduresforcartilagerepairarenotenoughat
restoring form and function. Cartilage autografts suffer from many
problems such as limited donor tissue availability, donor site injury,
scarring, and pain. Allogenic and alloplastic implants have a high
risk of infection, graft resorption, and structural failure. Metallic,
Search WWH ::
Custom Search