Musculoskeletal diseases account for a huge economic and human burden worldwide. Data from 2012 indicate that musculoskeletal conditions are the second greatest cause of disability and affect more than 1.7 billion people worldwide. And due to modern lifestyles, those numbers are expected to continue increasing. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control, more than five million musculoskeletal surgeries were conducted in the United States in 2010. This global problem is prompting high standards in the biomaterials industry, which is currently valued at $2.5 billion in the U.S. alone.