S oft T issue R epair and R egeneration: Composite Materials Toward the Design of Advanced Prostheses and Scaffolds

Abstract

The restoration of tissue biomechanical function represents a great challenge, underlining the need to mimic tissue structure and mechanical behavior through suitable prosthesis and scaffold designs. For this reason, several materials, technologies, and designs have been widely proposed and studied from an experimental and/or a clinical point of view. Polymer‐based composite materials are suitable candidates for applications where high strength‐to‐weight and stiffness‐to‐weight ratios and specific performances are required. Taking into account tissue structure‐function relationships, the design of biomimetic composite devices able to reproduce the multiscale structural hierarchy of complex tissues represents a crucial feature for tissue repair and regeneration. In particular, this article aims at stressing the importance of polymer‐based composite materials to design advanced prostheses and scaffolds for soft tissue engineering, with a special focus on tendons, ligaments, intervertebral disk, and meniscus.