Mechanobioreactors for Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Abstract

Mechanical stimulation is an effective method to increase extracellular matrix synthesis and to improve the mechanical properties of tissue-engineered cartilage constructs. In this chapter, we describe valuable methods of imposing direct mechanical stimuli (compression or shear) to tissue-engineered cartilage constructs as well as some common analytical methods used to quantify the effects of mechanical stimuli after short-term or long-term loading.

Keywords: Cartilage; Chondrocytes; Collagen; Mechanical stimulation; Mechanotransduction; Proteoglycans; Tissue engineering.