Osteochondral tissue engineering‑based subchondral bone plate repair (Review)

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Orthopedic Surgery

Background:

• Osteochondral defects cause significant joint dysfunction.
• Existing repair techniques for osteochondral defects have limitations.
• Tissue-engineered osteochondral grafts (TEOGs) are explored for regeneration but lack clinical standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review TEOG design focusing on subchondral bone plate (SBP) repair.
• To evaluate the impact of animal models on osteochondral defect repair techniques.
• To identify histological characteristics of unsatisfactory SBP regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on TEOG design and SBP regeneration.
• Analysis of histological features associated with poor SBP repair.
• Evaluation of animal models used in osteochondral defect repair studies.

Main Results:

• Four histological characteristics indicate unsatisfactory SBP regeneration: abnormal height, uneven surface, poor integration, and loose internal structure.
• Trilayer or multilayer scaffolds incorporating mesenchymal stem cells and growth factors show potential.
• Large animal models are crucial for clinical translation.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing TEOG design for SBP regeneration is critical for clinical success.
• Mesenchymal stem cells and growth factors in advanced scaffolds offer a promising strategy.
• Standardized, comprehensive osteochondral defect models in large animals are needed for future research.