Published online Jan 18, 2015. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v6.i1.127
Peer-review started: April 15, 2014
First decision: June 18, 2014
Revised: June 19, 2014
Accepted: July 25, 2014
Article in press: July 29, 2014
Published online: January 18, 2015
Processing time: 280 Days and 16.5 Hours
Recent advancements in the field of musculoskeletal tissue engineering have raised an increasing interest in the regeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It is the aim of this article to review the current research efforts and highlight promising tissue engineering strategies. The four main components of tissue engineering also apply in several ACL regeneration research efforts. Scaffolds from biological materials, biodegradable polymers and composite materials are used. The main cell sources are mesenchymal stem cells and ACL fibroblasts. In addition, growth factors and mechanical stimuli are applied. So far, the regenerated ACL constructs have been tested in a few animal studies and the results are encouraging. The different strategies, from in vitro ACL regeneration in bioreactor systems to bio-enhanced repair and regeneration, are under constant development. We expect considerable progress in the near future that will result in a realistic option for ACL surgery soon.
Core tip: This article reviews the current research strategies in anterior cruciate ligament tissue engineering and highlights the most promising strategies in this field.