title: Tissue engineering strategies in spinal arthrodesis: the clinical imperative and challenges to clinical translation.
abstract: Skeletal disorders requiring the regeneration or de novo production of bone present considerable reconstructive challenges and are one of the main driving forces for the development of skeletal tissue engineering strategies. The skeletal or mesenchymal stem cell is a fundamental requirement for osteogenesis and plays a pivotal role in the design and application of these strategies. Research activity has focused on incorporating the biological role of the mesenchymal stem cell with the developing fields of material science and gene therapy in order to create a construct that is not only capable of inducing host osteoblasts to produce bone, but is also osteogenic in its own right. This review explores the clinical need for reparative approaches in spinal arthrodesis, identifying recent tissue engineering strategies employed to promote spinal fusion, and considers the ongoing challenges to successful clinical translation.
authors.affiliation: Bone & Joint Research Group, Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells & Regeneration, Human Development & Health, Institute of Developmental Sciences, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, UK. nick.evans@doctors.org.uk
authors.forename: Nick R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Evan M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Dare
authors.forename: Richard Oc
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Oreffo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000494:pharmacology; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes