Scaffolds for cleft lip and cleft palate reconstruction

Abstract Orofacial clefts, which include cleft lip, palate, or both, are a common congenital malformation occurring in one in every 700 live births in the United States alone. Such a defect leads to impaired function in daily activities including normal face for communication and normal palatal function for speech. Tissue engineering techniques have very recently been explored to develop scaffolds as an alternative treatment method. Due to the differing geometries of the cleft lip and palate, varying scaffold materials and geometries are necessary to facilitate proper healing at the defect site. This review provides an overview of the anatomical structure and impaired function in orofacial clefts, current treatment options, and unique tissue engineering scaffolds as methods of treatment to improve patient outcome and quality of life.