Functional Engineering of Load-Supporting Soft Tissues

Tissue engineering approaches to regenerate tissue function employs a wide range of approaches to achieve this goal. To do so effectively, engineered tissues need to be functionally matching as native tissues to achieve good clinical outcomes. This article examines the composition, structure and function of two load-supporting tissues, articular cartilage and intervertebral disks. By understanding the characteristics of these two native tissues, a constitutive model can then be formed to better engineer functional scaffolds for tissue replacement. Several characterization methods, such as permeation, creep, indentation and compression tests, are discussed to understand important data points as to whether the engineered scaffold achieves functional outcomes needed for native tissue replacement. The use of different biomaterials and bio-fabrication techniques can have significant impact on the scaffold construct, and discussion about these is done to examine its effects on scaffold properties.