Structures and properties of tissue engineering matrices for cartilage and bone: Imaging, visualising and modelling tissue/scaffold constructs in 3D

骨和软骨的组织工程具有降低成本和改善结果的潜力。第一阶段需要设计多孔性的3D支架。到目前为止，它们在临床上的应用还不够理想。我们设计和优化支架的能力一直是特别的，因为在组织生长和修复过程中，局部结构和特性是不可测量的。在这项提案中，来自三所大学的一个跨学科小组将利用MicroCT成像、可视化和数值建模来确定这些结构和特性。这将为组织工程支架的进一步发展提供宝贵的认识。

Tissue engineering of bone and cartilage has the potential to lower costs and improve outcomes. The first stage requires the design of porous 3D scaffolds. To date they have been found less than ideal for clinical applications. Our ability to design and optimise scaffolds has been ad hoc, as local structure and properties have not been measurable during tissue growth and repair. In this proposal, an interdisciplinary group from three universities will utilise microCT imaging, visualisation and numerical modelling to determine these structures and properties. This will provide an invaluable understanding for the further development of tissue engineering scaffolds.