Biofabrication of thick vascularized neo-pedicle flaps for reconstructive surgery.

Biofabrication of thick vascularized neo-pedicle flaps for reconstructive surgery. Transl Res. 2019 May 21;: Authors: Stephens CJ, Spector JA, Butcher JT Abstract Wound chronicity due to intrinsic and extrinsic factors perturbs adequate lesion closure and reestablishment of the protective skin barrier. Immediate and proper care of chronic wounds is necessary for a swift recovery and a reduction of patient vulnerability to infection. Advanced therapies supplemented with standard wound care procedures have been clinically implemented to restore aberrant tissue; however, these treatments are ineffective if local vasculature is too compromised to support minimally-invasive strategies. Autologous "flaps", which are tissues equipped with their own hierarchical vascular supply, can be harvested from one region of the patient and transplanted to the wound where it is reperfused upon microsurgical anastomosis to appropriate recipient vessels. Despite the success of autologous flap transfer, these procedures are extremely invasive, incur obligatory donor-site morbidity, require sufficient donor-tissue availability as well as microsurgical expertise and specialized equipment. 3D-bioprinting modalities, such as extrusion-based bioprinting, can be used to address the clinical constraints of autologous flap transfer, primarily addressing donor-site morbidity and tissue availability. This advancement in regenerative medicine allows the biofabricati...
Source: Translational Research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine - Category: Laboratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Transl Res Source Type: research