Survey of Current and Prospective Approaches in Bone Grafting Technology

Abstract

It is estimated that more than 500,000 bone grafting surgeries occur annually in the US to repair or replace defects. Significant progress has been made in this field in recent years, thus making it opportune to survey the technologies currently available and highlight promising future strategies. Here, we offer a timely summarization of the field separated into three areas: Autografts-where bone tissue is harvested from the patient; allografts-taken from cadavers or animals; and intelligently-engineered bone graft substitutes. Additionally, we view innovative strategies to augment bone grafting, namely 3D printing, incorporation of diverse stem cell populations or growth factors, and engineered biomaterial scaffolds. Our work serves to orient the reader to the field of bone grafting and will assist clinicians and scientists in choosing and/or designing appropriate treatment strategies for patients requiring bone grafts.