Scaffolds for bone-tissue engineering

Due to a prolonged life expectancy, the number of orthopedic-related fractures and pathologies is increasing, leading to a tremen-dous demand for efficient orthopedic treatment. Consequently, bone-tissue engineering (BTE) has been developed to provide the innovative solution of using scaffolds to regenerate bone tissue. To fabricate an ideal scaffold, it is important to consider the charac-teristics of biomaterials and the biomechanical properties of the scaffold for structural restoration and tissue regeneration. Herein, an overview is provided on the properties of an ideal scaffold such as stiffness, pore size, surface topology, and load-bearing capacity. In addition, we categorized biomaterials for BTE scaffolds into four groups, ceramic, metal, natural polymer, and synthetic polymer, and elaborate on relevant mechanical and biological aspects of repre-sentative biomaterials from each group. Furthermore, we reviewed and highlighted recent advances in scaffolds that have been devel -oped in the past 10 years in BTE.

Automated summary

Due to increased life expectancy, there is a growing demand for efficient orthopedic treatment to address the rising number of orthopedic-related fractures and pathologies. Bone-tissue engineering (BTE) has emerged as an innovative solution using scaffolds to regenerate bone tissue. This article provides an overview of the characteristics of ideal scaffolds and categorizes biomaterials for BTE scaffolds. Recent advances in scaffolds developed over the past 10 years are also reviewed.