The future of carbon-based scaffolds in foot and ankle surgery

Carbon may represent an alternative material suitable for future development as a soft-tissue substitute that potentially optimizes the biological and mechanical properties required for a graft product used in surgery. In addition, other modes of characterization such as 3-dimensional computational modeling may offer an insight into material performance in a biological environment. Further investigation is required to characterize and model the relationships between biological, mechanical, and design properties of this material to maximize its potential as a biomechanical scaffold and vehicle for delivering biologics that promote tissue repair and regeneration.