Scaffolds in Bone Tissue Engineering: Research Progress and Current Applications

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the progress made on and the clinical applications of scaffolds in bone tissue engineering. After briefly introducing bone biology and fracture healing, the concept of bone tissue engineering and the requirements for bone scaffolds are described, followed by an examination of the materials, fabrication technologies, cell–surface interactions, and vascularization of bone scaffolds. Finally, current clinical applications of bone tissue engineering are summarized and the challenges in this field are discussed, along with possibilities for future research.