The potential matrix and reinforcement materials for the preparation of the scaffolds reinforced by fibers or tubes for tissue repair

In recent years, tissue engineering has shown great promise in both traumatic and non-traumatic tissue repair and regeneration. Abundant experiments have been conducted on the three key factors in tissue engineering, which are commonly considered to be seeding-cell, biomaterials and the development of newly-formed tissue. It is widely accepted that tissue engineering is defined as the use of biological, chemical and engineering methods to repair, restore and regenerate living tissues by using biomaterials, cells and growth factors. The scaffold is considered to be one of the vital components, which emulates the extracellular matrix (ECM) for inoculating cells and simultaneously provides templates for new tissue growth. It is highly expected that the scaffold has ideal mechanical properties for various applications in different tissues. Recently, a reasonable scaffold design has developed an effective way to enhance the performance of matrix scaffolds. Numerous studies have demonstrated that the mechanical properties of the scaffold can be greatly enhanced by the addition of nanoscale fibers, tubes or other additives. In this chapter, we mainly demonstrate potential materials for the matrix and reinforcements and the required manufacturing techniques used for the reinforced scaffold.