A novel 3D Osteochondral Scaffold with Mechano-identical properties of the native tissue for in situ tissue regeneration

骨性关节炎是一种慢性全球性疾病，在英国影响着超过850万人，导致关节软骨表面丢失和底层骨骼改变。这会导致关节疼痛、僵硬和进行性丧失关节活动度，导致功能障碍，从而影响日常生活和工作活动，导致严重的生活质量损失。膝关节和髋关节是关节功能丧失的主要负担。骨性关节炎的治疗能有效缓解疼痛和控制症状，但没有治愈的方法。骨性关节炎的进行性致残性质会造成相当大的社会经济负担，相当于国内生产总值的1-2%。为了恢复关节活动，可能需要用人工关节替换关节，特别是膝关节和髋关节，每年有150,000次初次关节置换手术。虽然成功，但置换关节的工作寿命有限，可能会松动，需要进一步的矫正手术。临床上对治疗骨性关节炎和恢复关节功能的有效和经济的再生疗法的需求尚未得到满足。如果能更有效地修复因创伤(骨性关节炎的危险因素)或早期骨关节炎引起的关节表面和底层骨损伤，许多患者将受益。我们提出了一种现成的、多功能的骨软骨支架，具有与天然骨软骨组织的生物力学环境相匹配的物理和力学性能，旨在通过积极招募、结合和促进支架植入过程中手术释放的干细胞的软骨生成来促进关节软骨再生。

OA is a chronic global disease affecting over 8.5 million people in the UK, causing loss of the articular cartilage surface and changes in the underlying bone. This causes painful, stiff joints and progressive loss of joint mobility leading to functional impairment which can affect daily living and work activities causing a profound loss of quality of life.Knee and hip joints have the major share of the OA burden loss of joint function. Treatments for OA give valuable pain relief and symptom control but there is no cure.The progressive disabling nature of OA produces a substantial socio-economic burden of 1-2% GDP. Replacement of the joint with an artificial one may be necessary to restore joint movement, particularly in the knee and hip with 150,000 primary joint replacement operations per annum. While successful, replacement joints have a limited working life and may loosen requiring further corrective surgery. There is an unmet clinical need for an effective and economic regenerative therapy to treat OA and restore function to the joint.Many patients would benefit if there was a more effective repair of lesions in the joint surface and underlying bone caused by trauma (a risk factor for OA) or early osteoarthritis. We propose an 'off-the shelf', multifunctional, osteochondral scaffold with physical and mechanical properties to match the biomechanical environment of native osteochondral tissue and designed to promote articular cartilage regeneration by actively recruiting , binding and promoting chondrogenesis of stem cells released surgically during scaffold implantation.