Tendon and ligament tissue engineering

Abstract Tendon and ligament are the major stabilizers in musculoskeletal system. Tendon/ligament injuries are common, especially in young generation. Loss of tendon/ligament support leads to tremendous functional disability. Thus restoration of tendon/ligament function after injury becomes crucial. However, the self-repair or regenerative capability of tendon/ligament is low due to their hypocellular and hypovascular nature. Therefore tissue engineering approaches to enhance tendon/ligament repair and regeneration or replace a nonrepairable tendon/ligament has indeed shed light on the future in this field. In this chapter the typical tissue-engineered tendon/ligament approaches with the basic elements and cutting edge technologies are discussed.