. 2015 Feb 9;2(1):15–26. doi: 10.1016/j.asmart.2014.11.001

Table 3.

Natural materials used in tissue-engineered ligament scaffolds.

Natural materials	Representative investigators	Publication year	Advantages	Defects
Collagen	Dunn et al¹¹⁰	1995	Biocompatible; about 90% of native ACL	Insufficient mechanical strength; immunogenicity
Silk	Chen et al¹¹¹	2003	Good tensile strength	Insufficient cell affinity; immunogenicity
Hyaluronic acid	Cristino et al¹¹²	2005	Biocompatible; natural ingredient of ECM; variable usable forms	Insufficient mechanical strength
Chitosan	Shao et al¹¹³	2010	Biocompatible; chemically modifiable; variable usable forms	Insufficient cellular affinity; insufficient mechanical strength
Alginate	Yamane et al¹¹⁴	2005	Biocompatible, enveloping effect, variable usable forms	Lacking mechanical strength

ACL = anterior cruciate ligament.