An Osteo Science Foundation-funded Research Project

An Osteo Science Foundation-funded Research Project

Loss of alveolar bone after tooth extraction has motivated development of a variety of approaches for alveolar ridge preservation.

Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches harness knowledge of cell populations and the factors that direct cellular function to inform tissue formation.

Microvascular transfer of autologous muscle provides an option for facial reanimation in some cases of facial nerve palsy and for the treatment of certain craniofacial muscle defects.

Emerging bioprinting technologies enable fabrication of constructs for tissue engineering with spatially controlled deposition of cells and biologically active factors to mimic the structural complexity of tissues.

The mechanical strength of metallic biomaterials supports their application in the fabrication of bone fixation plates and in development of scaffolds for bone tissue engineering.

Autografts and allografts are commonly applied in the surgical treatment of craniofacial bone defects, but limitations associated with each have motivated the development of alloplastic graft materials capable of supporting bone tissue regeneration.

Many investigations in recent years have applied injectable hydrogels as carriers for biologically active factors and as cell transplant vehicles for bone tissue regeneration.

The emergence of bioprinting technologies in recent years presents exceptional promise to enable fabrication of patient-specific three-dimensional constructs for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications.