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Biomedicines
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Bioengineering and Translational Research for Bone and Joint Disorders
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Bioengineering and Translational Research for Bone and Joint Disorders

A special issue of Biomedicines (ISSN 2227-9059). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomedical Engineering and Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2026 | Viewed by 2707

Editor

Dr. Danilo Donati

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Rehabilitation Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
Interests: musculoskeletal disorders; rehabilitation; sports injuries
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Musculoskeletal diseases, including osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, ligament/tendon injuries, and large bone defects, represent a leading global health burden, affecting millions worldwide. These conditions often result in chronic pain, disability, and reduced quality of life, while posing significant challenges to healthcare systems due to their limited treatment options and high recurrence rates. Traditional interventions (e.g., joint replacements and autografts) face limitations such as donor-site morbidity, implant wear, and poor integration with host tissues.

Bioengineering and translational research offer transformative solutions by leveraging advanced materials, stem cell therapies, and tissue engineering strategies to regenerate damaged bone and joint tissues. This Special Issue aims to bridge the gap between laboratory innovations and clinical applications, addressing unmet needs in musculoskeletal repair and rehabilitation.

We invite original research articles, reviews, and short communications covering (but not limited to) the following themes:

Biomaterials and Scaffold Design

3D-Printed/Bioprinted Scaffolds: Innovations in porous, biodegradable materials (e.g., hydrogels, composites, ceramics) for bone, cartilage, and tendon regeneration.
Smart Materials: Stimuli-responsive biomaterials (e.g., pH-, light-, or mechanically triggered drug release) for controlled delivery of growth factors, antibiotics, or cells.
Surface Modifications: Functionalized implants (e.g., antibacterial coatings, bioactive peptides) to enhance osseointegration and reduce infection risks.

Regenerative Medicine and Cell Therapies

Stem-Cell-Based Approaches: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and chondrocytes for cartilage/bone repair.
Exosome and Secretome Therapies: Acellular strategies harnessing extracellular vesicles for tissue regeneration.
Mechanobiology: Role of mechanical stimuli (e.g., dynamic loading, substrate stiffness) in directing cell fate and tissue maturation.

Translational Challenges and Clinical Solutions

Large Bone Defect Repair: Strategies combining scaffolds, growth factors, and vascularization techniques (e.g., angiogenic factors, 3D-printed vascular networks).
Joint Degeneration: Bioengineering interventions for early-stage osteoarthritis (e.g., meniscus regeneration, subchondral bone stabilization).
Infection Management: Antibacterial biomaterials and implant designs to combat periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs).

Emerging Technologies

Organ-on-a-Chip Models: Microphysiological systems for drug screening and disease modeling in bone/joint tissues.
AI and Machine Learning: Predictive modeling for personalized scaffold design or treatment optimization.
Neuro-Regeneration: Bioengineering approaches to restore sensory/motor function in joint-related neuropathies.

We encourage researchers, clinicians, and industry partners to contribute groundbreaking work that advances the field of bone and joint bioengineering. Together, let’s accelerate the translation of innovative therapies from bench to bedside!

Dr. Danilo Donati
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomedicines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • musculoskeletal diseases
  • advanced materials
  • stem cell therapies
  • tissue engineering strategies

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1580 KB  
Article
Effect of Knee Joint Meniscus Tears on Joint Cartilage Contact and Pressure with Finite Element Analysis
by Cengizhan Kurt and Arif Gök
Biomedicines 2026, 14(4), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14040869 - 10 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 769
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The medial meniscus is crucial for load transmission and knee stability. Meniscal tears disrupt joint biomechanics, increasing the risk of cartilage degeneration. However, few studies have quantitatively compared how different tear types affect stress and contact mechanics using finite element analysis (FEA). [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The medial meniscus is crucial for load transmission and knee stability. Meniscal tears disrupt joint biomechanics, increasing the risk of cartilage degeneration. However, few studies have quantitatively compared how different tear types affect stress and contact mechanics using finite element analysis (FEA). This study aims to analyze stress distributions for various meniscal tear types and develop a predictive model for meniscal stress behavior. This study investigates how stress distributions differ between healthy and torn medial menisci under identical loading conditions. The study examines which meniscal tear type produces the highest stress concentrations. The effects of different tear types on penetration, gap formation, pressure distribution, and sliding distance at the meniscus interface are also analysed. Materials and Methods: The FEA model of the knee joint, including femoral and tibial cartilage and the medial meniscus, was developed. Simulations were conducted for a healthy meniscus and for menisci with radial, horizontal and complex tears. Stress, penetration, gap, pressure, and sliding distance were calculated, and a mathematical model describing their relationships was established. Results: All torn menisci exhibited significantly higher stresses than the healthy meniscus (p < 0.001). Radial tears generated the highest stress concentrations (p < 0.001). Pressure was mainly influenced by meniscal geometry, while the gap remained nearly constant. Penetration increased slightly (p < 0.05). The predictive model demonstrated a strong correlation between meniscal stress and interface parameters (R2 > 0.9). In a healthy meniscus, stress distribution is homogeneous (≈26 MPa). Stress concentration increases depending on the tear type: limited in a horizontal tear (≈26.5 MPa), significant in a vertical tear (≈30.8 MPa), and highest in a radial tear (≈40.6 MPa). These results indicate that as the tear progresses, the load-bearing capacity of the meniscus decreases, and stresses concentrate at the tear edges. Conclusions: Meniscal tears, especially radial ones, substantially alter knee biomechanics and elevate tissue stress. These biomechanical insights highlight the importance of early diagnosis and targeted rehabilitation strategies to prevent further cartilage damage and osteoarthritis progression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioengineering and Translational Research for Bone and Joint Disorders)
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Review

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35 pages, 1613 KB  
Review
Translational Progress and Clinical Challenges in Bioengineered Bone and Joint Repair
by Anoop Sunkara, Connor Primo McCloskey, David Antonio Dias, Siddhartha Kalala, Jack Thomas Peterson, Maxwell James Latshaw, Arun Kiran Movva and Albert Thomas Anastasio
Biomedicines 2026, 14(6), 1374; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14061374 - 18 Jun 2026
Viewed by 245
Abstract
Musculoskeletal disorders involving bone, cartilage, tendon, and joint tissues represent a leading cause of disability worldwide, and conventional surgical and graft-based interventions are limited by donor site morbidity, incomplete integration, and finite durability. Despite substantial preclinical progress, translation into reliable clinical benefit has [...] Read more.
Musculoskeletal disorders involving bone, cartilage, tendon, and joint tissues represent a leading cause of disability worldwide, and conventional surgical and graft-based interventions are limited by donor site morbidity, incomplete integration, and finite durability. Despite substantial preclinical progress, translation into reliable clinical benefit has remained inconsistent. This narrative review synthesizes recent advances in bioengineered approaches to bone and joint repair, emphasizing how materials design and regenerative strategy selection influence translational feasibility. Advances in scaffold-based systems highlight the role of material composition, architectural organization, and structure–function matching in supporting musculoskeletal regeneration. Regenerative platforms including stem cell therapies, extracellular matrix-derived constructs, and smart materials are evaluated for biological performance, manufacturability, and regulatory feasibility. Early translational and clinical studies demonstrate encouraging outcomes across selected musculoskeletal indications; however, variability in efficacy and adoption highlights persistent barriers to broader implementation. Key challenges include scalable manufacturing, cost and reimbursement uncertainty, and heterogeneity in clinical infrastructure, factors that may also influence access to advanced regenerative therapies. Future innovations should emphasize manufacturability and real-world evidence generation that align with practical clinical pathways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioengineering and Translational Research for Bone and Joint Disorders)
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38 pages, 1659 KB  
Review
Natural Polymers in Tissue Engineering and Regeneration: Material–Cell Mechanotransduction, Biofabrication Strategies, and Clinical Translation
by Gabriela Calin, Mihnea Costescu, Marcela Nour, Camer Salim, Nicu Ovidiu Lungu, Alina Stefanache, Roman Rusnac, Elena Costescu, Mihai Cozmin, Petruta Iuliana Moraru, Alina Mitocaru, Tatiana Iov and Letiția Doina Duceac
Biomedicines 2026, 14(4), 843; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines14040843 - 8 Apr 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1290
Abstract
Fractures are becoming a bigger and bigger global health problem, with an estimated 178 million new cases each year and 455 million people living with disabilities caused by fractures. Donor site morbidity, the risk of immune rejection, and limited functional integration all make [...] Read more.
Fractures are becoming a bigger and bigger global health problem, with an estimated 178 million new cases each year and 455 million people living with disabilities caused by fractures. Donor site morbidity, the risk of immune rejection, and limited functional integration all make current grafting techniques less effective. Biomaterials that come from nature, like collagen, gelatin, chitosan, alginate, hyaluronic acid (HA), and silk fibroin, have become promising scaffolds because they are bioactive, mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM), and can be broken down by enzymes. Crosslinking and composite reinforcement can greatly change how well they work. For example, collagen scaffolds that are highly crosslinked with glutaraldehyde keep up to 51.9% of their tensile strength after being exposed to enzymes, while non-crosslinked scaffolds only keep 12% of their strength. Chitosan–hydroxyapatite matrices, on the other hand, can reach compressive strengths of 2–12 MPa, which is close to the strength of cancellous bone. Additive manufacturing and 4D printing allow for precise control of structures and the ability to change their shape over time, which helps with vascularization and mechanical adaptation. Injectable and in situ-forming hydrogels show clinically important results, such as filling 85% of osteochondral defects in rabbits, improving left ventricular ejection fraction by up to 9% in large-animal cardiac models, and speeding up healing by 25–40% in chronic wounds. Even with these improvements, it is still hard to get batch consistency, a standardized way to test mechanical properties, and production that meets GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards and can be scaled up. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Bioengineering and Translational Research for Bone and Joint Disorders)
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