title: Tissue engineering technology and its possible applications in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
abstract: Tissue engineering is a rapidly advancing discipline that combines the attributes of biochemical and biomaterial engineering with cell transplantation to create bio-artificial tissues and organs. For the oral and maxillofacial surgeon, the reconstruction of maxillofacial defects in hard and soft tissues is an ongoing challenge. While autologous grafts and vascularised free flaps are the current gold standard, they are not without complications at both the donor and reconstructed sites. Tissue engineering, which aims to create tissue-matched, prefabricated, prevascularised bony or soft tissue composite grafts, or both, therefore has the potential to revolutionise practice in maxillofacial surgery. We review the technology of tissue engineering and its current and future applications within the specialty, and discuss contemporary obstacles yet to be overcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, King's College Hospital, United Kingdom. Electronic address: karlpayne@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Karl F B
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Payne
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Royal London Hospital, United Kingdom. Electronic address: indranb@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Indran
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Balasundaram
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering and Imaging, King's College London Dental Institute, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Sanjukta.deb@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Sanjukta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deb
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering and Imaging, King's College London Dental Institute, Guy's Hospital, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: lucy.di_silvio@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Silvio
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, King's College Hospital, United Kingdom. Electronic address: kfan@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Kathleen F M
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D064592:Autografts / Q000637:transplantation; D020811:Biomedical Technology; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017690:Cell Transplantation; D058752:Free Tissue Flaps / Q000637:transplantation; D006801:Humans; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D060053:Transplant Donor Site / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Head and neck surgery; Maxillofacial surgery; Reconstructive surgery; Tissue engineering