Topography as a cue for driving osteochondral unit regeneration

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Osteochondral defects affect hyaline cartilage and subchondral bone.
• The osteochondral unit comprises distinct cell zones with specific phenotypes.
• Topography is a critical physicochemical property influencing cell behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the state-of-the-art in osteochondral unit regeneration using topographical cues.
• To emphasize the underutilization of topography in current regenerative approaches.
• To contextualize biological aspects of topography-driven regeneration.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies on osteochondral regeneration.
• Analysis of biomaterial parameters including chemistry, mechanics, and topography.
• Examination of pre-clinical and clinical investigations of topographical scaffolds.

Main Results:

• Current strategies primarily focus on biomaterial chemistry and mechanics, neglecting topography.
• Few studies incorporate topography into scaffolds, with limited pre-clinical and clinical data.
• Topographical cues influence cell adhesion, proliferation, phenotype, and ECM deposition.

Conclusions:

• Topographical cues are essential for functional osteochondral unit regeneration.
• Incorporating topography into scaffold design is critical for mimicking native tissue.
• Further research and clinical trials are needed to fully exploit topographical cues in osteochondral repair.