Chapters authored
Tissue Engineering Applications in Maxillofacial Surgery
Nowadays, oral and maxillofacial surgeons face serious difficulties in reconstruction of large defects caused by trauma, cancer, or congenital deformities. Considering each part of oral and maxillofacial region consisting of several tissues, it is necessary to reconstruct these architectures layer by layer. Through years surgeons use different forms of grafts to reconstruct these defects. As these grafts and techniques are well described and used routinely, it should have been noticed that they are not without complications. This is where idea behind tissue engineering steps in. “Tissue engineering” due to its multi-aspect properties can be defined as application of methods and science of engineering toward the understanding of structure-function relationships of mammalian tissues in both normal and pathological forms to improve and develop biologic substitutes to reach the main goal of restoring, maintaining, and stabilization of tissue function. From standpoint of surgery, tissue engineering is not considered as a potential step anymore, but as an available approach to reach the ultimate goal of reconstruction procedures. The aim of this chapter is to defne concepts and advances in tissue engineering (TE). Also, review TE applications in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery with bolding its clinical applications and complications based on novel and high-quality published researches.
Part of the book: Stem Cells in Clinical Practice and Tissue Engineering