J Craniofac Surg. 2018 Jul 19. doi: 10.1097/SCS.0000000000004747. [Epub ahead of print]

Cleft Alveolus Reconstruction Using a Three-Dimensional Printed Bioresorbable Scaffold With Human Bone Marrow Cells.

Ahn G¹, Lee JS², Yun WS², Shim JH², Lee UL³.

Abstract

Bone tissue engineering technology based on scaffold has been applied for cleft lip and palate treatment. However, clinical applications of patient-specific three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds have rarely been performed. In this study, a clinical case using patient-specific 3D-printed bioresorbable scaffold with bone marrow stromal cells collected from iliac crest in the operating room has been introduced. At 6-month after transplantation, the bone volume of the newly regenerated bone was approximately 45% of the total defect volume. Bone mineral density of the newly regenerated bone was about 75% compared to the surrounding bone. The Hounsfield unit value was higher than that of cancellous maxillary alveolar bone and lower than that of the cortical maxillary alveolar bone. Bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells-seeded 3D-printed patient-specific polycaprolactone scaffolds offer a promising alternative for alveolar cleft reconstruction and other bony defects.