Table 1.

Natural and synthetic materials

Natural and synthetic materials	Materials	Advantages
Natural	Natural Silk, collagen, gelatin, fibrinogen, hyaluronic acid, alginate	Biodegradable
		Easily available
		Bioactive, interact with cells
Synthetic	PEG, PGA, PMMA, PLGA	Facilitate restoration of structure of damaged tissues
		Inert
		Long shelf-life
		Easily tailored for desired porosity and degradation time
		Predictable and reproducible mechanical and physical properties

PGA: Polyglycolic acid; PLGA: Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid); PEG: Polyethylene glycol; PMMA: Polymethyl methacrylate.