title: Tissue engineering for intervertebral disk degeneration.
abstract: Many challenges confront intervertebral disk engineering owing to complexity and the presence of extraordinary stresses. Rebuilding a disk of native function could be useful for removal of the symptoms and correction of altered spine kinematics. Improvement in understanding of disk properties and techniques for disk engineering brings promise to the fabrication of a functional motion segment for the treatment of disk degeneration. Increasing sophistication of techniques available in biomedical sciences will bring its application into clinics. This review provides an account of current progress and challenges of intervertebral disk bioengineering and discusses means to move forward and toward bedside translation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Victor Y L
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Barbara P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Kenneth M C
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Cheung
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D055959:Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*