title: The use of bone grafts and substitutes in the craniomaxillofacial region.
abstract: Craniomaxillofacial defects arise from congenital abnormalities or are acquired following trauma or ablative surgery. Various bone grafting techniques have been developed for application in the facial skeleton to assist in the reconstruction of small alveolar deficiencies to more complex, extensive bony defects. Autogenous grafts from different sites vary in volume, stability and contour characteristics. The introduction of allogeneic grafts has further increased the possibilities for hard tissue replacement as have alloplastic substitutes which have been used successfully. Recent advances in bone regeneration in the maxillofacial region using distraction osteogenesis and the recent advent of cell culture techniques have introduced new therapeutic approaches that will provide the foundation for a significant shift in the approach to reconstructive surgery of the facial skeleton.
authors.affiliation: Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Shand
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Heggie
mesh_terms: D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D018786:Bone Substitutes; D016025:Bone Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D005147:Facial Bones / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D010006:Osteoblasts; D010011:Osteocytes; D019857:Osteogenesis, Distraction
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes