Bioreactors for tissues of the musculoskeletal system

Abstract

Muskuloskeletal tissue includes bone, cartilage, ligament, skeletal muscle and tendons. These tissues malfunction either due to a natural injury, trauma, or a disorder. In all cases natural regeneration needs to be enhanced by medication and, in many instances, by surgery. Surgical techniques are limited to suturing, autografts or allografts. Tissue engineering stems from the challenge presented by the limited resources for natural implants and the ineffectiveness of previous curing techniques. The challenge in tissue engineering resides in the design of a functional bioreactor that would: (1) house the engineered construct under sterile conditions; and (2) provide the appropriate stimuli that would result in a neotissue with biochemical and biomechanical properties comparable to in situ tissue. The various types and designs of bioreactors for the regeneration of musculoskeletal tissue, including spinner flask, rotating wall vessel, flow perfusion, and mechanical loading devices are presented in this paper.