Injectable hydrogels and nanocomposite hydrogels for cartilage regeneration

Cartilage loss due to age-related degeneration and mechanical trauma is a significant and challenging problem in the field of surgical medicine. Unfortunately, cartilage tissue can be characterized by the lack of regenerative ability. Limitations of conventional treatment strategies, such as auto-, allo-, and xenografts or implants stimulate an increasing interest in the tissue engineering approach to cartilage repair. This review discusses the application of polymer-based scaffolds, with an emphasis on hydrogels in cartilage tissue engineering. We highlight injectable hydrogels with various micro- and nanoparticles, as they constitute a novel and attractive type of scaffolds. We discuss advantages, limitations, and future perspectives of injectable nanocomposite hydrogels for cartilage tissue regeneration. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 2762-2776, 2018.