Development of Silk Based Matrices for Cartilage & Osteochondral Tissue Engineering

Abstract

The osteochondral tissue of the knee joint is a multi-tissue organ composed of articular cartilage, subchondral bone, and the synovial membrane, with effective functioning dependent on sustained joint homeostasis. The articular cartilage is incapable of self-healing and affects entire osteochondral tissue when damaged. In the absence of intervention, it ultimately leads to Osteoarthritis (OA) and limits the functioning of the entire joint. The extant non-availability of a cure for OA mandates the use of external regenerative strategies to repair the damaged osteochondral tissue.