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Applications of Computer Modeling and Simulation in Cartilage Tissue Engineering

  • Review Article
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Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Aims and scope

Abstract

Background:

Advances in cartilage tissue engineering have demonstrated noteworthy potential for developing cartilage for implantation onto sites impacted by joint degeneration and injury. To supplement resource-intensive in vivo and in vitro studies required for cartilage tissue engineering, computational models and simulations can assist in enhancing experimental design.

Methods:

Research articles pertinent to cartilage tissue engineering and computer modeling were identified, reviewed, and summarized. Various applications of computer modeling for cartilage tissue engineering are highlighted, limitations of in silico modeling are addressed, and suggestions for future work are enumerated.

Results:

Computational modeling can help better characterize shear stresses generated by bioreactor fluid flow, refine scaffold geometry, customize the mechanical properties of engineered cartilage tissue, and model rates of cell growth and dynamics. Thus, results from in silico studies can help resourcefully enhance in vitro and in vivo studies; however, the limitations of these studies, such as the underlying assumptions and simplifications applied in each model, should always be addressed and justified where applicable. In silico models should also seek validation and verification when possible.

Conclusion:

Future studies may adopt similar approaches to supplement in vitro trials and further investigate effects of mechanical stimulation on chondrocyte and stem cell dynamics. Additionally, as precision medicine, machine learning, and powerful open-source software become more popular and accessible, applications of multi-scale and multiphysics computational models in cartilage tissue engineering are expected to increase.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Engineering, East Carolina University, 1000 E Fifth Street, Greenville, NC, 27858, USA

    Daniel Pearce, Sarah Fischer, Fatama Huda & Ali Vahdati

  2. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Stuttgart, Keplerstraße 7, 70174, Stuttgart, Germany

    Sarah Fischer

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  1. Daniel Pearce
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Correspondence to Ali Vahdati.

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Pearce, D., Fischer, S., Huda, F. et al. Applications of Computer Modeling and Simulation in Cartilage Tissue Engineering. Tissue Eng Regen Med 17, 1–13 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13770-019-00216-9

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