Regeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament: Current strategies in tissue engineering

Recent advancements in the field of musculoskeletaltissue engineering have raised an increasing interest in theregeneration of the interior cruciate ligament (ACL). It isthe aim of this article to review the current research effortsand highlight promising tissue engineering strategies. Thefour main components of tissue engineering also applyin several ACL regeneration research efforts. Scaffoldsfrom biological materials, biodegradable polymers andcomposite materials are used. The main cell sources aremesenchymal stem cells and ACL fibroblasts. In addition,growth factors and mechanical stimuli are applied. Sofar, the regenerated ACL constructs have been tested ina few animal studies and the results are encouraging.The different strategies, from in vitro ACL regenerationin bioreactor systems to bio-enhanced repair andregeneration, are under constant development. Weexpect considerable progress in the near future that willresult in a realistic option for ACL surgery soon.&nbsp