Bone and Osteo-Articular Alterations are one of the major high impact and debilitating diseases associated with a high personal and socio-economic burden.

Genetic and predictive diagnoses are still very difficult because of their wide clinical variety and the multiple gene involved. Also the intra-articular and/or systemic treatments are not definitely effective. Actually, so far, there is no therapy available that effectively arrests structural deterioration of cartilage and bone or is able to successfully reverse any of the existing structural defects. When alterations are extended, both 3D scaffold (hydroxyapatite) and joint prosthesis are necessary that, however, are quite invasive techniques that cannot completely restore the damaged tissue.

Nanotechnology can play a key role in the development of innovative materials for osteo-chondral diagnosis, therapy and tissue regeneration allowing the development of effective nanomaterials and systems able to perform genetic detection, improve the delivery of effective therapeutic agent, through ad-doc nano-carrier, and, finally, enhance the promotion of cell proliferation and differentiation when nano-systems are integrated into bio-scaffold/prosthesis.

In this Special Session an overview of most innovative approaches and recent progresses in Bone and Osteo-Articular Alterations will be presented.