Bone Regeneration of the Cranio- maxillofacial and Dento-alveolar Skeletons in the Framework of Tissue Engineering

B one regeneration in the cranio-maxillofacial skeleton has undergone many advances over a short period of time. There is much activity in this area, where autogenous bone grafting still plays a significant role in clinical practice. Cranio-maxillofacial osseous reconstruction represents a very large potential market effecting many surgical specialties including, oral maxillofacial surgery, plastic surgery, otolaryngology, neurosurgery, general surgery and head and neck oncology. The area is also of vital interest to most specialties of dentistry including periodontics, orthodontics, endodontics, and even general dental practice. Indeed these combined specialties form the market basis for the development of many commercial products. Some have proven to be useful, others have been most disappointing. The future of tissue engineering in this particular anatomic area is not only bright, it is necessary. This chapter reviews the historical aspects of osseous reconstruction in this region, the efforts to minimize morbidity, and discusses new directions that the promise of tissue engineering may bring to this area.