Abstract

Worldwide, chondral lesions are considered as one of the most prevalent clinical problems and are a common cause of arthritis. Development of an efficient treatment approach is of major interest in clinical settings considering the poor self-regeneration capacity of cartilage tissue due to its low cellular and avascular nature. Conventional therapeutic approaches from bone marrow stimulation techniques and cell transplantation to total joint replacement have been extensively used to repair the damaged cartilage. These surgical strategies generally reduce pain and inflammation and slow disease progression with varied success, although their limitations have led to the investigations of tissue engineering (TE) and a scaffold-based approach. Polymeric scaffolds and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are two major components in TE. Their distinct characteristics have been exploited in numerous preclinical and clinical practices to improve hyaline-like repair. This entry describes the articular cartilage structure and composition, and current treatment methods for cartilage defects. We specifically explore the potential for polymeric scaffolds and MSCs in terms of cartilage TE. Finally, we attempt to provide an overview of recent findings for the application of MSCs and polymeric scaffolds to regenerate damaged cartilage tissue.