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Review
. 2020 Jan/Feb;31(1):15-27.
doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000005840.

Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine in Craniofacial Reconstruction and Facial Aesthetics

Mimi R Borrelli  1 , Michael S Hu, Michael T Longaker, Hermann Peter Lorenz
Affiliations
Review

Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine in Craniofacial Reconstruction and Facial Aesthetics

Mimi R Borrelli et al. J Craniofac Surg. 2020 Jan/Feb.

Abstract

The craniofacial region is anatomically complex and is of critical functional and cosmetic importance, making reconstruction challenging. The limitations of current surgical options highlight the importance of developing new strategies to restore the form, function, and esthetics of missing or damaged soft tissue and skeletal tissue in the face and cranium. Regenerative medicine (RM) is an expanding field which combines the principles of tissue engineering (TE) and self-healing in the regeneration of cells, tissues, and organs, to restore their impaired function. RM offers many advantages over current treatments as tissue can be engineered for specific defects, using an unlimited supply of bioengineered resources, and does not require immunosuppression. In the craniofacial region, TE and RM are being increasingly used in preclinical and clinical studies to reconstruct bone, cartilage, soft tissue, nerves, and blood vessels. This review outlines the current progress that has been made toward the engineering of these tissues for craniofacial reconstruction and facial esthetics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
The process of tissue engineering/regenerative medicine.
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.
Skeletal tissue engineering.
FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 3.
Facial cartilage tissue engineering.
FIGURE 4.
FIGURE 4.
Skin tissue engineering.
FIGURE 5.
FIGURE 5.
Facial adipose tissue engineering.
FIGURE 6.
FIGURE 6.
Facial nerve tissue engineering.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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