TY  - JOUR
AU  - Al-Allaq, Ali A.
AU  - Abdulhakeem, Abdullah A.
AU  - Hammood, Jwan Kh.
AU  - Fouad, Hassan
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/04/07
TI  - Advances Toward <i>In Vivo</i> Cartilage Repair: A Comprehensive Review of Current Strategies and Future Directions
JO  - Recent Progress in Materials
SP  - 003
VL  - 08
IS  - 02
AB  - The cartilage is avascular and has limited regenerative capacity, posing a significant clinical challenge. Conventional treatments often do not restore hyaline cartilage, leading to progressive osteoarthritis. Recent advances in tissue engineering have focused on integrating biomaterials, stem cells, growth factors, and gene-delivery approaches. In addition, in vivo models serve as critical platforms for translational validation. Biomaterial scaffolds, including polycaprolactone, silk fibroin, chitosan, and composite hydrogels, have demonstrated improved mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and cartilage-like matrix deposition. Functionalization with bioactive molecules, such as IGF-I, βFGF, exosomes, and Icariin, further facilitated chondrogenic differentiation and immunomodulation. In long-term studies, scaffold-free organoid bio-assemblies, three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting, and multilayered scaffolds have shown promise in osteochondral regeneration. In contrast, artificial meniscus models and polyvinyl alcohol-hydrogel (PVA-H) have shown promise in reducing osteoarthritis progression. Although these advances have been made, significant challenges remain, including vascularization, long-term integration, and translation from large animals to humans. As part of this review, evidence from in vivo research has been synthesized, translational barriers highlighted, and future perspectives on cartilage repair discussed. The next-generation approaches may provide durable, clinically relevant solutions for cartilage regeneration and joint preservation by integrating advances in biomaterials, controlled delivery, and cell-based therapies.
SN  - 2689-5846
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/rpm.2602003
DO  - 10.21926/rpm.2602003
ID  - Al-Allaq2026
ER  -