Recreating the Face - A Mini-Review of Current Studies on 3D Bioprinting in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Abstract

According to the United States National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, craniofacial anomalies are the most common birth defects. Genetic, epigenetic, and environmental causes lead to craniofacial anomalies which can range from cleft lip and palate to major defects in the development of the skull, face, brain, eyes, ears, and nose. Oral and maxillofacial surgeries are performed on individuals with craniofacial defects, but success of surgery is dependent on nature of the defect. Some defects are too complex which need multiple surgeries, but still not be completely cured by traditional methods. In this direction, 3 dimensional or 3D bioprinting has emerged as a promising modern technology that can significantly benefit the field. A personalized medicine approach to address craniofacial defects is provided by 3D-printing technologies which integrate doctors, engineers and researchers to work for a common goal [1]. Hence, this mini review of literature on 3D bioprinting discusses the technology in the context of craniofacial, and hence oral and maxillofacial therapeutics. In the field of oral and maxillofacial therapeutics, researchers and surgeons are aiming to develop a 3D scaffold by direct 3D printing technology to fabricate complicated tissue grafts. They need to possess all the necessary biological properties and environment for cell division and tissue regeneration. Hence, the current and future challenges of 3D bioprinting will be to achieve the above criteria is a cost-effective and timely manner. Check for updatessignificantly convenient, greatly improves their outcome, and enhances the quality of life of patients [5]. The Process of 3D BioprintingThe process of 3D bioprinting can be categorized into pre-bioprinting, bioprinting, and post-bioprinting [6][7][8]. At the very beginning, suitable cells for synthesizing the bioink are isolated and cultured to obtain a large amount of viable starting material.In the pre-bioprinting step, imaging is performed on the tissue that will be bioprinted. The imaging is done by technology like Computed tomography (CT) or cone beam CT in Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format and magnetic resonance [6,8,9]. Standard Triangle Language (STL) format is used to provide the image as input to the bioprinter [6,8,9]. Hence, a Computer Aided Design (CAD) model of the target tissue is obtained [6].

3D Bioprinting in Otolaryngology: A Review

“…For example, 3D bioprinting can solve issues related to misalignment of graft placement and reduce time of surgery and anesthesia in complex facial reconstruction. [ 107 ] As noted, compared to conventional tissue engineering, 3D bioprinting allows for more advanced and precise deposition of cells and biomaterials to create customized grafts with complex architecture. [ 14 ] This new technology has the capacity to advance surgical treatment in head and neck surgical cases.…”