Injectable biodegradable materials for orthopedic tissue engineering

The large number of orthopedic procedures performed each year, including ma ny performed arthroscopically, have led to great interest in injectable bio degradable materials for regeneration of bone and cartilage. A variety of m aterials have been developed for these applications, including ceramics, na turally derived substances and synthetic polymers. These materials demonstr ate overall biocompatibility and appropriate mechanical properties, as well as promote tissue formation, thus providing an important step towards mini mally invasive orthopedic procedures, This review provides a comparison of these materials based on mechanical properties, biocompatibility and regene ration efficacy. Advantages and disadvantages of each material are explaine d and design criteria for injectable biodegradable systems are provided. (C ) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.