Guided Bone Engineering: Healing of Large Bone Defects

Tissue engineering (TE) aims/seeks to achieve the substitution of organ transplantation by the creation of living, functional tissues. It has been suggested that biocompatible porous materials (scaffolds) and a controllable 3D environment are required to aid in the 3D cell organisation and their development into functional tissue. Our research envisions a TE-approach towards the repair of large, load bearing defects in long bones. In vitro standardised, systematic, quantitative screening of potential bone scaffolds is required to understand how scaffolds can affect cell behaviour. This screening will avoid a trial-and-error approach and thus limit the number of animal experiments. Such a screening should be based on the knowledge of mechanical, physical and (bio)chemical scaffold properties and their interaction with cell behaviour. In addition, the design and production of a clinically relevant scaffold requires control over its mechanical behaviour and a new approach for cell seeding in a 3D scaffold, as well as providing nutrition for the engrafted cells. The objective of this research is to gain substantial knowledge about guided bone regeneration and to develop quantitative methodologies that can lead to consistent and reproducible bone regeneration.