Osteoarthritis, Exercise, and Tissue Engineering: A Stimulating Triad for Health Professionals

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease, promoted by abnormal chronic mechanical loading over the joint, for instance, due to excessive body mass. Patients frequently report pain, fatigue, and limitations in specific functional daily activities. Regarding the treatment of OA, two nonpharmacological options are available. However, it is not clear which type and intensity of exercise have better outcomes in treatment and how tissue engineering can be a promising field due to the mechanical load implants will suffer. The aims of this work were to investigate (1) the main characteristics, prevalence, and consequences of OA; (2) the exercise prescription guidelines and whether exercise interventions have a positive effect on OA treatment; and (3) the novel improvements on tissue engineering for OA treatment. Both patients and practitioners should be aware that benefits may come from prescribed and supervised exercise. Recent studies have highlighted that an optimal balance between exercise and nutritional income should be widely recommended. Regarding tissue engineering, significant steps towards the development of implants that mimic the native tissue have been taken. Thus, further studies should focus on the impact that exercise (repetitive loading) might have on cartilage regeneration. Finally, suggestions for future research were proposed.

Update on Novel Non-Operative Treatment for Osteoarthritis: Current Status and Future Trends

“…The goal of CTE is to modify the host microenvironment of OA and promote cartilage regeneration ( Ondresik et al, 2017 ). Successful tissue engineering depends on multiple aspects, including appropriate cells for implantation, well-designed scaffolds for mechanical support, and biological factors for directing cells to differentiate in the proper direction ( Liu Y. et al, 2017 ; Morouco et al, 2019 ). Recent investigations have highlighted its promising, and some strategies are already available on the market ( Brittberg, 2008 ; Evans et al, 2018 ).…”

“…Tissue engineering is thought a reparative treatment that mainly targets interference at the early stages of OA to maintain and restore the extracellular matrix (ECM) of cartilage ( Liu Y. et al, 2017 ). It offers a possibility to regenerate cartilage by using cells, scaffolds, and genes alone or combined ( Morouco et al, 2019 ).…”

In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of a Polycaprolactone (PCL)/Polylactic-Co-Glycolic Acid (PLGA) (80:20) Scaffold for Improved Treatment of Chondral (Cartilage) Injuries

“…Therefore, the exploration and investigation of reparative and regenerative alternatives that will result in more physiological and long-lasting results are needed. In this regard, tissue engineering has become an attractive alternative [ 5 , 6 ] since it involves the combined use of different cell types, scaffolds, growth factors, and physical stimulation to regenerate living tissue [ 7 ]. Among the most used cells are the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), responsible for the maintenance of adult tissues [ 8 ].…”

First study on the effect of transforming growth factor beta 1 and insulin-like growth factor 1 on the chondrogenesis of elephant articular chondrocytes in a scaffold-based 3D culture model

“…Available at www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.15/July-2022/35.pdf Tissue engineering has gained increasing interest and developed to apply for cartilage restoration in humans and animals [3,4]. Several studies have reported appropriate cell sources, biocompatible and biodegradable scaffolds, effective growth factors, and suitable techniques to generate cartilage tissue ex vivo for in vivo implantation [5][6][7].…”