Injectable hydrogels and nanocomposite hydrogels for cartilage regeneration.

Cartilage loss due to age-related degeneration and mechanical trauma is a significant and challenging problem in the field of surgical medicine. Unfortunately, cartilage tissue can be characterized by the lack of regenerative ability. Limitations of conventional treatment strategies, such as auto-, allo-, and xenografts or implants stimulate an increasing interest in the tissue engineering approach to cartilage repair.