The International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS), founded in Switzerland in 1997, celebrates this year its 20th year of activity. On the occasion of this important event, the ICRS organized a meeting in Goteborg (Sweden) to speak about the past, present and future of cartilage science. Professor Elizaveta Kon, the supervisor of the Translational Orthopedy Section and a specialist in the Center for the functional and biological reconstruction of knees at Humanitas (directed by Professor Maurilio Marcacci), is the Secretary of the ICRS and one of the promoters of this event, where she delivered a speech.

“The Society was founded in Switzerland in 1997, by Lars Peterson. His work has been paramount. He performed the first transplant of autologous chondrocytes. A revolutionary technique (the first in cell therapy) that gave life and created interest around cartilage regeneration”, Professor Kon pointed out.

This meeting is the occasion to think about everything we learned until now about the development, degeneration and restoring of cartilage tissues, and to wonder about what we can do in the next years.

Biomaterials for Cartilage Regeneration

“Long-Term Outcomes of Approved Scaffold induced Repair”. This is the title of the speech of Professor Kon, regarding the new biomaterials used in cartilage regeneration.

The cartilage and the bone get damaged by wear. Thus, we implant these new biomaterials to create a regenerative environment, and to promote the growth of the damaged cartilage.