Bioengineering in the Oral Cavity: Insights from Articular Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Cartilage failure in diarthrodial joints results in pain and a reduction in quality of life. The goal of cartilage tissue engineering is to replace or regenerate these mechanically loaded tissues to restore function to the joint. Recent advances in our laboratory have resulted in the production of cartilage and fibrocartilage with clinically relevant properties. A review of salient results will constitute the bulk of this manuscript, which serves as a companion to the Academy of Osseointegration’s 2010 presentation that shares the same title. After providing a brief background of the clinical problem, this review will highlight several specific tissue engineering tools. The approaches used in producing mechanically functional cartilage through tissue engineering have several parallels to the problems faced in osseointegration, e.g., the need for mechanically appropriate tissues at the implantation site. The discussion that follows will focus on how approaches developed in identifying alternative cell sources and various exogenous stimuli for producing neocartilages may be applicable to osseointegration