title: The meniscus vascularization: the direct correlation with tissue composition for tissue engineering purposes.
abstract: Meniscal lesions still represent an unsolved problem in clinical practice. Like the articular cartilage, meniscus has a scarce healing potential. Thus, when this tissue is damaged, the joint biomechanics is completely altered, leading to the development and progression of premature osteoarthritis. Therefore, in the last years, several tissue-engineering strategies have been developed to regenerate the meniscus with debated results. The comprehension of complex processes underlying meniscus maturation and structure is essential for a correct approach for the generation of a biomimetic meniscal substitute. In this chapter, we will first review the morphology of the meniscus during growth, focusing on the unique pattern of vascularization, and then we will discuss the most common tissue engineering strategies for meniscus repair.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, Animal Sciences and Food Safety, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Giancamillo
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mangiavini
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tessaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marmotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scurati
authors.affiliation: IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.|Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Peretti
mesh_terms: D021522:Bioartificial Organs; D040761:Biomimetic Materials; D006801:Humans; D000072600:Meniscus / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000737:chemistry*; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000473:pathology; D012038:Regeneration; D023822:Tissue Engineering