Tendons and Ligaments: Tissue Engineering

Interest in biological technologies such as tissue engineering has dramatically increased, because it is now feasible to isolate living, healthy cells from tissues and organs, expand their number under cell culture conditions, combine the cells with biocompatible carrier materials in the form of scaffolds, and transplant them into patients. Tissue engineering provides the opportunity to generate living substitutes for tissues and organs, which may overcome the drawbacks of tissue reconstruction procedures. This entry reviews strategies and practical considerations in tendon and ligament tissue engineering.