Adaptive responses of murine osteoblasts subjected to coupled mechanical stimuli.

Restitution of the natural organization and orientation of cells is imperative for the construction of functional tissue scaffolds. While numerous studies have exploited mechanical methods to engineer tissues with the desired cellular architecture, fundamental knowledge is still lacking in understanding the manner in which morphological features can be modulated through coupled mechanical cues. To address this knowledge gap, the adhesion and alignment response of murine osteoblast cells under the synergistic effects of matrix rigidity and cyclic mechanical loading was investigated.