With hundreds of thousands of knee arthroscopies performed each year and over 16 million people affected by osteoarthritis in the U.S. alone, the need for functional cartilage replacements is significant.  At present, many surgical techniques to repair joint surfaces produce fibrocartilage and are associated with patient pain, significant recovery time and strict rehabilitation protocols.  Efforts to produce a suitable tissue engineered cartilage replacement have led researchers to consider the complex mechanical loading of cartilage in vivo.  Tissue engineers are now investigating the effects of various mechanical stimulation options within multiple 3-D cell culture environments.  Fluid pressurization and various axes of additional mechanical stimulation have been developed "in house" to this point.

TGT is committed to producing reliable bioreactors that allow researchers to focus on the effects of cell seeding density, scaffold material, growth factors, and stimulation regimes with respect to chondrocyte differentiation and extracellular matrix development.

The CartiGen architecture provides a physiologic support system that enhances metabolic conditions for cell growth and maintenance in a 3-D environment.  Physiologic parameters are feedback-controlled for culture reproducibility.  The flexible hardware and computer control systems allow for the development of a wide variety of automated experimental protocols with varying levels of complexity (frequency, force magnitude and application profile).