3D-Printed Porous Metallic Scaffold For Maxillofacial Bone Reconstruction.

Maxillofacial bone defects can be caused by congenital deformities, trauma, tumor resections, or any combination of these factors. This can lead to aesthetic and functional issues, such as facial incoordination, asymmetry, and difficulty swallowing. In most cases, autologous bone grafting is the gold standard for the treatment of such bone defects. However, autologous bone transplantation has certain drawbacks, such as complications at the donor site and a limited supply. Furthermore, allogeneic or xenograft bone grafts can also be used, but there are also concerns regarding the spread of disease with these methods. For this reason, the prospect of using bone tissue engineering (BTE) to reconstruct maxillofacial hard tissue defects is of interest to reconstructive surgeons. As the success of this approach depends on providing mechanically supported porous 3D scaffolds and a suitable environment for bone tissue regeneration, the design and fabrication of porous scaffolds with biocompatibility, desired structure, mechanical properties and resorbability is a crucial factor for the success of the BTE approach.