Mechanical Testing of Cell-Material Constructs: A Review

The exponential growth in basic research and clinical trials involving tissue-engineered materials has generated a corresponding need for the evaluation of the material properties and functional performance of these constructs during development and/or after implantation. Applications focusing on musculoskeletal tissues, in particular, require detailed assessment of the biomechanical properties of neo-tissue constructs in vitro and in vivo (1 ). Based on the known properties of normal tissues, investigators have identified a range of biological, biochemical, and biophysical end-point parameters that must be quantified to determine the potential for success of a particular tissue-engineering methodology. Such end-point assessment is critical to our understanding of the basic scientific approaches underlying tissue engineering. In addition, biomechanical assessment is crucial for the implementation of regulatory processes that are coupled to clinical practice.