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Published on: January 7, 2019
Nondestructive Techniques to Evaluate the Characteristics and Development of Engineered Cartilage
Joseph M Mansour1, Zhenghong Lee2, Jean F Welter3
1Departments of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 2123 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Glennan Building Room 616A, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA. joseph.mansour@case.edu.
Evaluating tissue engineered (TE) cartilage requires specialized nondestructive methods. These methods are crucial for assessing TE cartilage development and post-implantation performance, addressing variability issues in current techniques.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Orthopedic Research
Background:
- Current methods for evaluating cartilage properties often derive from native and osteoarthritic tissue assessments.
- Tissue engineering (TE) of cartilage necessitates specialized evaluation techniques for developing and implanted tissues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing and needed methods for nondestructive evaluation of tissue engineered cartilage.
- To highlight the importance of specialized methods for assessing TE cartilage variability and performance.
Main Methods:
- Review of established and emerging nondestructive evaluation techniques for cartilage.
- Discussion of challenges posed by inter- and intra-donor variability in TE cartilage cellular components.
Main Results:
- Conventional destructive tests are insufficient for predicting TE cartilage outcomes due to cellular variability.
- Nondestructive evaluation methods are essential for quality control and assessing TE cartilage regimens.
Conclusions:
- Specialized nondestructive evaluation methods are critical for advancing TE cartilage development and clinical application.
- Correlating pre- and post-implantation properties with performance can lead to predictive quality control measures for TE cartilage.
