Translational Progress and Clinical Challenges in Bioengineered Bone and Joint Repair

Musculoskeletal disorders involving bone, cartilage, tendon, and joint tissues represent a leading cause of disability worldwide, and conventional surgical and graft-based interventions are limited by donor site morbidity, incomplete integration, and finite durability. Despite substantial preclinical progress, translation into reliable clinical benefit has remained inconsistent. This narrative review synthesizes recent advances in bioengineered approaches to bone and joint repair, emphasizing how materials design and regenerative strategy selection influence translational feasibility. Advances in scaffold-based systems highlight the role of material composition, architectural organization, and structure-function matching in supporting musculoskeletal regeneration. Regenerative platforms including stem cell therapies, extracellular matrix-derived constructs, and smart materials are evaluated for biological performance, manufacturability, and regulatory feasibility. Early translational and clinical studies demonstrate encouraging outcomes across selected musculoskeletal indications; however, variability in efficacy and adoption highlights persistent barriers to broader implementation. Key challenges include scalable manufacturing, cost and reimbursement uncertainty, and heterogeneity in clinical infrastructure, factors that may also influence access to advanced regenerative therapies. Future innovations should emphasize manufacturability and real-world evidence generation that align with practical clinical pathways.