Currently, plastic surgeons are often challenged to reconstruct extensive and complex tissue defects in various areas of the body. Despite the availability of a variety of operative approaches in practice that are applicable in the long term for the reconstruction of tissue defects, donor and autologous transplants, skin grafts, implants, etc., the result is often not satisfactory. Restrictions of these techniques in restoring and repairing tissue serve as a driving force for the development of new techniques, the development of adipose tissue in tissue engineering. From a didactic point of view, the expansion could be divided into 3 rd groups. The first group consists of physiological expansion, e.g. growth of an individual. The second group includes pathological expansion, i. skin growth over areas of tumours. The third group includes artificial expansion, which was an important part of cosmetic or ethnic adaptations for some tribes. This review article is addresses the application of tissue expansion in various types of tissues, skin, muscles and bones, as well as its localization and its side effects.