Soft Tissues Characteristics and Strategies for Their Replacement and Regeneration

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of connective tissues is usually represented as a composite material, in which insoluble fibers are embedded in an aqueous matrix containing a wide variety of soluble macromolecules. The main characteristic of the ECM is to provide the tissue with specific physiological and biomechanical properties. These macroscopic properties are strictly related to the tissue composition and spatial arrangement of its microconstituents.