Controlled Release Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

Bone disease and trauma can sometimes create defects that require more than current clinical therapies can provide for effective healing. Scaffolds that release bioactive agents such as drugs offer additional benefits in this regard in comparison to those whose main requirements are space filling and load bearing. This review details a variety of recent research on scaffold carrier systems that release osteogenic drugs for orthopaedic treatment purposes. The controlled release scaffolds presented are created from a variety of materials (such as tricalcium phosphate, hydrogel systems and poly(D,L‐lactide)) and release drugs such as statins, bisphosphonates and a variety of growth factors. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 98:430-441, 2009