Toward tissue engineering of the knee meniscus

This review details current efforts to tissue engineer the knee meniscus su ccessfully. The meniscus is a fibrocartilaginous tissue found within the kn ee joint that is responsible for shock absorption, load transmission, and s tability within the knee joint. If this tissue is damaged, either through t ears or degenerative processes, then deterioration of the articular cartila ge can occur. Unfortunately, there is a dearth in the amount of work done t o tissue engineer the meniscus when compared to other musculoskeletal tissu es, such as bone. This review gives a brief overview of meniscal anatomy, b iochemical properties, biomechanical properties, and wound repair technique s. The discussion centers primarily on the different components of attempti ng to tissue engineer the meniscus, such as scaffold materials, growth fact ors, animal models, and culturing conditions. Our approach for tissue engin eering the meniscus is also discussed.