Advances in Bioprinting Technologies for Craniofacial Reconstruction

Recent developments in craniofacial reconstruction have shown important advances in both the materials and methods used. While autogenous tissue is still considered to be the gold standard for these reconstructions, the harvesting procedure remains tedious and in many cases causes significant donor site morbidity. These limitations have subsequently led to the development of less invasive techniques such as 3D bioprinting that could offer possibilities to manufacture patient-tailored bioactive tissue constructs for craniofacial reconstruction. Here, we discuss the current technological and (pre)clinical advances of 3D bioprinting for use in craniofacial reconstruction and highlight the challenges that need to be addressed in the coming years.

TrendsConventional craniofacial reconstruction methods still fail to mimic the complex 3D anatomy and biology of native tissues.Bioprinting can aid in the production of cell-incorporated and patient-tailored bioactive scaffolds that can be used for craniofacial reconstruction.Currently, there are three different bioprinting technologies (laser-assisted, inkjet, and extrusion-based) used to print craniofacial tissues.Bioprinting technologies will soon be used to enhance the self-repair capabilities of tissues in the craniofacial area.