Biomaterials for Cartilage Repair: A Review

The quest for an ideal material that could mimic and replace damaged articular cartilage tissue, has been the focus of several past and current researches. Metals, ceramics and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) have shown some success in Total Joint Replacements (TJR). However, there is still a need to develop materials that would possess the physiological, engineering and tribological properties of natural cartilage tissue and form suitable scaffolds for tissue engineering of cartilage. This is to overcome the drawbacks of total joint replacements such as excessive surgery, stress shielding, harmful wear particles, and an abnormal recovery, among others. The review touches upon the properties and structure of natural cartilage tissue, the problem of arthritis and follows it up with studies on various polymeric materials that have been considered for cartilage replacement and tissue engineering. Outcomes of these studies will be helpful in optimizing structure-property relations and further converge to an ideal material for cartilage repair.