Bionic repair strategy for craniomaxillofacial bone tissue reconstruction

The clinical need for repairing craniofacial bone defects is significant, as relying solely on autologous bone grafts presents challenges such as resource deficiency and non-reusability. This has led to an urgent demand for tissue engineering approaches to create synthetic bone substitutes for such repairs. In recent years, researchers have concentrated on biomimetic strategies in bone tissue engineering, aiming to regenerate bone tissue by replicating the physical, chemical, and biological signals found in natural bone. This review delves into the structural characteristics, development, and regeneration mechanisms of craniofacial bones, with a particular focus on the unique aspects of the maxillofacial region. It systematically summarizes recent research trajectories from structural biomimicry—designing materials that closely resemble the microarchitecture of natural bone—to functional biomimicry, which involves engineering materials that not only look like but also perform like natural bone tissue. By analyzing these strategies, the review highlights both the strengths and limitations of current approaches, providing insights into potential clinical applications and the challenges that remain. The ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between research and practice, raising solutions for bone defect repair in the maxillofacial region and offering new directions for the clinical and industrial development of effective bone tissue engineering products. • Maxillofacial bone defects have an urgent need for treatment methods other than autologous bone transplantation. • Bionic craniofacial biomaterials are designed based on the unique regeneration mechanism of the craniofacial bone. • Biomimetic craniofacial bone repair engineering plays a promising role in the clinical translation process.