Application of chitosan with different molecular weights in cartilage tissue engineering

Cartilage tissue engineering involves the invention of novel implantable cartilage replacement materials to help heal cartilage injuries that do not heal themselves, aiming to overcome the shortcomings of current clinical cartilage treatments. Chitosan has been widely used in cartilage tissue engineering because of its similar structure to glycine aminoglycan, which is widely distributed in connective tissues. The molecular weight, as an important structural parameter of chitosan, affects not only the method of chitosan composite scaffold preparation but also the effect on cartilage tissue healing. Thus, this review identifies methods for the preparation of chitosan composite scaffolds with low, medium and high molecular weights, as well as a range of chitosan molecular weights appropriate for cartilage tissue repair, by summarizing the application of different molecular weights of chitosan in cartilage repair in recent years.

Automated summary

Cartilage tissue engineering aims to develop novel implantable materials for cartilage replacement to overcome the limitations of current treatments. Chitosan, with its similar structure to glycine aminoglycan, has been widely used in this field. The molecular weight of chitosan is an important parameter that affects both the preparation method of chitosan composite scaffolds and the healing effect on cartilage tissue. This review summarizes the application of different molecular weights of chitosan in cartilage repair, providing methods for preparing chitosan composite scaffolds with low, medium, and high molecular weights as well as an appropriate range for cartilage tissue repair.