Disease, aging, and accidents require treatment or replacement of some human organs. When possible, autograft harvesting of healthy tissue from one site of a patient treats the dysfunctional part elsewhere.

The need for two surgeries increase the patient’s pain, blood loss, and recovery time. Sometimes, healthy people donate tissue, but potential problems exist, such as availability of a donor, organ compatibility, and the chance of disease transfer. Synthetic biomaterials may provide mechanical, biological, and physiochemical advantages when used as grafts.