3D Printing for Craniofacial Bone Regeneration

Craniofacial bone loss arises from congenital abnormalities, trauma, or surgical resections. The treatment of these bony defects imposes a large burden on the health services. Biomaterial scaffolds are useful tools for reconstructing replacement tissues. However, the geometry of facial bones often necessitates thin, porous scaffolds while retaining strong mechanical properties. These conflicting requirements often make craniofacial reconstruction more challenging than the treatment of long bone fractures. This chapter addresses critical considerations of scaffold design. Classical biomechanical and numerical theories of craniofacial biomechanics are introduced. Also, we describe various materials along with 3D-printing techniques used in scaffold fabrication. These components provide a foundation for discussing the mechanical and structural requirements of scaffolds designed for craniofacial repair. We consider three case studies to demonstrate how different factors may influence scaffold design. Overall, we provide a framework for considering how craniofacial bone design can be optimized by comprehensively considering biomaterial properties and microenvironmental factors.