BIOCOMPATIBILITY AND IMMUNE RESPONSE OF 3D-PRINTED BIOMATERIALS IN CRANIOFACIAL BONE RECONSTRUCTION: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Craniofacial bone deformities, which may happen because of trauma, cancer surgery, or birth anomalies, are very hard to fix in surgery since the skull and face have very complicated anatomical and functional needs. Traditional ways of reconstructing things, such autografts, allografts, and regular prostheses, typically have problems like donor site morbidity, not fitting the anatomy well, and not integrating well with the body. The introduction of 3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing) has changed the area of craniofacial reconstruction by making it possible to make patient-specific implants (PSIs) with exact shapes and material qualities that are particular to each patient. This study looks at the many 3D printing methods and biomaterials used for cranial bone repair in a systematic way, looking at how they affect mechanical integrity, biological integration, and clinical outcomes. It talks about the benefits of this technology, the problems it faces right now, and the steps that need to be taken to move customized craniofacial regenerative medicine forward in the future.