Approach to Design Loading Protocols for Cartilage Tissue Engineering: Hypothesis, Experiment and Model

Tissue engineered cartilage has reached the level of maturity where the cells, either chondrocytes, BMSC’s or other cells are stimulated to produce a tissue of which the biochemical content qualitatively resembles that of native cartilage. Quantitatively, the proteoglycan content approaches that of native content in long term cultures, but to obtain native collagen fractions is still challenging. Engineered cartilage matrix is either homogeneously distributed, or shows gradual variation from the periphery to the center, caused by nutritional effects.