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Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering: Tendon, Ligament, and Skeletal Muscle Replacement and Repair

Abstract:

This chapter mainly focuses on the musculoskeletal muscle. It presents a brief explanation on the main techniques to engineer synthetic scaffolds with particular attention on their relevance in the field of tendon/ligament and skeletal muscle engineering. The strategy to repair tendon, ligaments, and skeletal muscles using synthetic materials are generally based on the fabrication of structures that mimic the native tissue organization and its functional properties. To achieve this goal, several methods have been proposed so far, including electrospinning, knitting or braiding, and micropatterning. Cell-based therapies with or without the presence of a scaffold represent an alternative strategy for tendon and ligament repair as well for skeletal muscle regeneration. Stem cells in tendon/ligament and skeletal muscle tissue engineering can be divided into three main classes: embryonic stem cells (ESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (IPSs), and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).