Ex vivo synthesis of articular cartilage.

This review discusses modern methods used for the synthesis of articular cartilage ex vivo. The value of culturing articular chondrocytes as a monolayer and in three-dimensional lattices is discussed. Of particular interest are techniques involving seeding of chondrocytes onto synthetic, biodegradable, polymeric scaffolds, and natural materials, such as collagen and agarose. Also discussed is the use of bioreactors to modulate the fluid-flow-induced shear environment of cell-seeded scaffolds. Biodegradable scaffolds are central to the efforts to tissue engineer articular cartilage ex vivo. A review of salient efforts to design and use such scaffolds is presented, along with our thoughts on potential future improvements.