Regeneration of Cartilage and Tendons in the Upper Extremities - Dissertation Example

Their research helped them establish that there are three main elements in tissue engineering and regeneration: sufficient cell numbers within the defect, access to differentiation factors, cell carrier or matrix which fills the defect and allows cell proliferation (Gao et.al., 2007). This study was able to indicate that cell regeneration of cartilage in the upper extremities is only apparent with stem cells in adult somatic tissues which can differentiate into various lineages of experimental conditions.

In critically evaluating the research methods and content of this study, it is apparent to note that the topic chosen is very much significant and relevant in the current orthopedic practice, especially where this practice has yet to establish clear and effective cartilage and tendon regeneration. Unlike bones which often have mechanisms of quality regeneration in place, the authors focused their study on the regeneration of cartilage. The results of the study were very much supported by their tables and by the literature review they presented.

Moreover, the conclusions were drawn based on the logical evaluation of results as well as the discussion of variables. The limitations of the study were discussed, mostly in relation to the small population covered which also limited the generalized applicability of the results. Difficulties in regeneration of the cartilage has also been discussed by Scheibel et.al. (2004) where the authors carried out osteochondral autologous transplantations from the knee joints to the shoulder on eight patient respondents.

Standard assessment measures were applied to the patients. After about 32 months from the transplantations, regeneration was seen in the cartilage indicating osseointegration of the osteochondral plugs and alignment of cartilage at the transplantation site. This study revealed that osteochondral autologous transplants in the shoulders offer viable options for lesions in the cartilage at the glenohumeral joints. The results of this study are very much related to previous studies on the subject matter in terms of the benefits of autologous transplantations for cartilage.

The variables of the study were sufficiently explained and specified; however, limitations of the study were on the application of ethical research practices which the authors did not specify. It is difficult to gauge the application of confidentiality as well as informed consent without the authors specifying such applications within their text. The methods of the study are nevertheless replicable and repeatable for future studies and for future reference. Funakoshi et.al. (2006) carried out their experiment on tendon regeneration at the shoulders in their study where their subjects were rabbits.

They experimented on 21 rabbits in order to evaluate the feasibility of nonwoven chitin fabrics in the acellular matrix rotator cuff regeneration. The subjects were assessed on the cellular level at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks following surgery and intervention. The authors were able to establish the value of grafted shoulders on subjects, which exhibited type III collagen regenerated tissues. In other words, using chitin fabric as an acellular matrix helped the regeneration of the tendons in the shoulder area.

This study also supports the notion which was already forwarded by previous studies where cellular regeneration on cartilage and tendons can be difficult, but can be made