Mimicking natural bio-mineralization processes: a new tool for osteochondral scaffold development.

In recent years, the concept of regenerative medicine has gained great importance, particularly in the field of orthopaedics, in which current solutions are based mainly on the replacement of damaged tissues with devices that function only as structural replacements with limited regenerative capacity. New regenerative solutions can be obtained by taking inspiration from nature, which surrounds us with a multitude of organisms endowed with extraordinary performance. In particular, bio-mineralization, which is the basis of the formation of load-bearing structures in vertebrate and invertebrate organisms, can be exploited to achieve innovative devices for the repair and reconstruction of bone and osteo-cartilaginous tissues.