Defining the Effective Range of Electrical and Mechanical Signals for Piezoelectric Stimuli in Cartilage Tissue Engineering

Cartilage regeneration is clinically challenging due to the avascular nature of articular cartilage and its limited self-healing capacity. Piezoelectric scaffold materials, which transduce mechanical deformation into electrical signals, have emerged as promising self-powered platforms to stimulate chondrocytes and mesenchymal stem cells in situ. While interest in this field is growing, definitive quantitative guidelines on mechanical and electrical stimulation parameters such as voltage amplitude, frequency, charge density, and loading magnitude which optimally enhance chondrogenesis while avoiding harmful effects, are not yet available. This review illustrates the underlying mechanisms of piezoelectric stimulation in cartilage regeneration, surveys recent advances in materials and scaffold designs, and compiles current quantitative data on electrical outputs and mechanical loading regimens. Finally, we provide preliminary design windows and a research plan to generate evidence-based stimulus parameters that guide the development of piezoelectric cartilage tissue engineering strategies.

کلیدواژه ها:

piezoelectric scaffold ، cartilage regeneration ، electrical stimulation ، PVDF ، BaTiOs ، chondrogenesis ، stimulus optimization