Craniofacial Bone

Craniofacial bone loss caused by trauma, cancer resection, or congenital diseases significantly impacts patients' facial appearance. An estimated 20% of annual bone transplants in the United States occur in the craniofacial region. Tissue engineering approaches that combine cells, scaffolds, and stimulatory cues hold considerable potential for regenerating functional bone. Several modalities are suited to generating scaffolds with the complex anatomical geometries of the craniofacial bones. Of these, three-dimensional printing (3DP) is particularly attractive as it is capable of providing precise control over both the macroscopic and microscopic architecture of the scaffold. In this chapter, we review various 3DP methods and their application in craniofacial bone tissue engineering. In addition, we examine how these techniques may be combined with nanocomposites to mimic bone composition and structure, and deliver bioactive molecules for regeneration and reconstruction of craniofacial bone.