Graphene Oxide–based Biomaterials in Sports Medicine

Abstract

This review summarizes recent advances in the application of graphene oxide (GO) in sports medicine with an emphasis on cartilage repair, skeletal muscle regeneration, ligament and tendon repair, and tendon–bone (enthesis) healing. Owing to the distinctive physicochemical properties and favorable biocompatibility, GO exhibits considerable promise across these indications. We first outline the chemical structure and physical characteristics of GO, then discuss mechanistic roles that underpin the performance of GO in different disease contexts. We further synthesize evidence that GO strengthens biomaterials mechanically and enhances cellular adhesion and lineage commitment, which promotes tenogenic, chondrogenic, and myogenic differentiation, as well as enthesis formation. Despite these advantages, important questions remain regarding the biosafety and long-term in vivo stability of GO. Future work should prioritize rational chemical functionalization and composite design to tailor GO-based materials to specific tissue-repair requirements with the development of next-generation GO scaffolds that better recapitulate the human biomechanical milieu. In parallel, multi-omics interrogation of GO–cell interactions will deepen our mechanistic understanding and guide material optimization. Addressing these key challenges will enable GO to have a larger role in cartilage repair and sports medicine, accelerating progress in the field.

Keywords

Biomaterials / composite scaffolds / graphene oxide (GO) / skeletal muscle regeneration / sports medicine / tendon and ligament regeneration / tendon–bone (enthesis) healing

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