Principles of Regenerative Medicine of the Maxillomandibular Region

Abstract

Surgical approaches to repair defects in the maxillomandibular region generally seek to restore function and esthetics to the greatest extent possible. The high visibility of the region coupled with the various complex functions of the craniofacial structures underscores the unique challenges presented to the reconstructive surgeon. While surgical techniques have advanced considerably over the years to enable transfer or rotation of vascularized tissues, limitations of tissue transfer techniques and persistent clinical needs motivate development of new regenerative medicine and tissue engineering strategies for maxillomandibular reconstruction. This chapter introduces basic principles of tissue transfer, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering in the context of maxillomandibular reconstruction and discusses key advantages and limitations associated with each approach. The fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine present exceptional potential to advance the options available to the reconstructive surgeon for maxillomandibular repair. Nevertheless, the clinical feasibility of these emerging approaches will require continued collaboration of a multidisciplinary team of professionals to appropriately balance the complexity of the approach with the regulatory and commercialization requirements to meet the urgent clinical need.