Principles Of Cartilage Repair

Cartilage defects affect patients of all age groups. Surgeons, teamdoctors, general practitioners and physiotherapists alike are expected to provide adequate care. Only individual treatment plans combining a well balanced choice of various options will be successful. Background knowledge, operative and non-operative therapies are described in concise chapters: Articular cartilage biology - Diagnostics - Surgical techniques - Symptomatic and alternative medications - Physiotherapy. Diagnostic findings and surgical procedures are generously illustrated by aquarelles and colour photographs. Recommendations for additional reading, description of important clinical scoring systems and a listing of analytic tools are added for further information.

In three Volumes this mini book series presents current knowledge and new perspectives on cartilage as a specialized yet versatile tissue. This third volume provides insight into current and future treatment strategies for repair of cartilage lesions. This book addresses Professors, researchers and PhD students who are interested in musculoskeletal and cartilage pathobiology and tissue-engineering.

Osteochondral defects can be challenging to treat, first, because the damaged articular cartilage has a poor intrinsic reparative capability, and second, because these defects cause chronic pain and serious disability. That is why cartilage repair remains one of the most challenging issues of musculoskeletal medicine. Arthroscopic and open techniques that have been developed over the last two decades intend to promote the success of complete repair of the articular cartilage defects; nevertheless, these therapies cannot always offer 100% success. Nowadays, cartilage tissue engineering is an emerging technique for the regeneration of cartilage tissue. Taking into consideration these perspectives, this book aims to present a summary of cartilage tissue engineering, including development, recent progress, and major steps taken toward the regeneration of functional cartilage tissue. Special emphasis is placed on the role of stimulating factors, including growth factors, gene therapies, as well as scaffolds, including natural, synthetic, and nanostructured.

Reviewing exhaustively the current state of the art of tissue engineering strategies for regenerating bones and joints through the use of biomaterials, growth factors and stem cells, along with an investigation of the interactions between biomaterials, bone cells, growth factors and added stem cells and how together skeletal tissues can be optimised, this book serves to highlight the importance of biomaterials composition, surface topography, architectural and mechanical properties in providing support for tissue regeneration. Maximizing reader insights into the importance of the interplay of these attributes with bone cells (osteoblasts, osteocytes and osteoclasts) and cartilage cells (chondrocytes), this book also provides a detailed reference as to how key signalling pathways are activated. The contribution of growth factors to drive tissue regeneration and stem cell recruitment is discussed along with a review the potential and challenges of adult or embryonic mesenchymal stem cells to further enhance the formation of new bone and cartilage tissues. This book serves to demonstrate the interconnectedness of biomaterials, bone/cartilage cells, growth factors and stem cells in determining the regenerative process and thus the clinical outcome.

The focus of this book is to create a comprehensive analysis of cartilage injury and repair strategies. Twenty chapters cover proven and emerging procedures and methodologies. Readers will be able to understand the clinical problem, appropriate diagnosis, and repair strategies relevant to first line and secondary cartilage repair procedures.

This work is the result of a partnership that began in 2011, when I received for the first time the invitation to be the scientific editor of a book on bone grafting, by the still little publisher known as InTech. Now six years later, InTech has grown and thrived. My respect and warm approval for the quality of the publisher's work only increased. The hyaline cartilage is a tissue that challenges tissue engineering and regenerative medicine because of its avascular nature. In the 11 chapters of this book, the reader will find texts written by researchers working on advanced topics related to basic laboratory research, as well as excellent reviews on the clinical use of currently available therapies.

Virtually any disease that results from malfunctioning, damaged, or failing tissues may be potentially cured through regenerative medicine therapies, by either regenerating the damaged tissues in vivo, or by growing the tissues and organs in vitro and implanting them into the patient. Principles of Regenerative Medicine discusses the latest advances in technology and medicine for replacing tissues and organs damaged by disease and of developing therapies for previously untreatable conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, and renal failure. Key for all researchers and instituions in Stem Cell Biology, Bioengineering, and Developmental Biology The first of its kind to offer an advanced understanding of the latest technologies in regenerative medicine New discoveries from leading researchers on restoration of diseased tissues and organs