Biomimetic Constructs for Achilles Tendon Regeneration and their Translation to Human Medicine

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Background Achilles tendon injuries are among the most common lower-body tendon injuries, often resulting fromoveruse and repetitive motion. Current treatments, ranging from conservative therapies to biological grafts, have drawbacks, including limited regenerative capacity and the risk of graft rejection. To overcome these challenges, tissue engineering shows growing promise for Achilles tendon regeneration, with ongoing research focused on developing biomimetic constructs that utilize various materials and biologics. Since every tendon has unique biomechanical and physiological characteristics, it is crucial to conduct individualized evaluations through detailed research and to address key considerations for clinical translation. Methods This review focuses explicitly on advances in Achilles tendon tissue engineering for human medicine, assessing constructs made from natural, synthetic, and composite materials with/without biologics and discussing their clinical translation. Studies were searched in the PubMed database and Google Scholar, using the most relevant keywords, such as "Achilles tissue engineering", "Achilles biomimetic constructs", "Biomaterials for Achilles tendon", and "Clinical translation". Results Biomimetic constructs developed from various polymers and their combinations, when integrated with stem cells, demonstrate promising potential to reconstruct tissue

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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