Cartilage tissue engineering

This chapter provides a review of important developments in the field of cartilage tissue engineering, with an emphasis on articular cartilage. Clinical significance of cartilage repair is discussed and the necessity of using tissue engineering approach to solve this problem is presented. Structure, function, and biochemical components of cartilage are described. This chapter will compare and contrast the various options available for cartilage tissue engineering. Four major components of tissue engineering in relation to cartilage are discussed including cells, scaffolds, growth factors, and mechanical stimuli.