Tissue engineering and plastic surgery

Abstract

Tissue engineering found its application in plastic surgery long before technological advancements allowed the field to expand to what it is today. Both disciplines, tissue engineering and plastic and reconstructive surgery, share a common objective: to provide living tissue for the repair of congenital or acquired defects. Each new achievement in these fields is a consequence of centuries of previous investigation, observation, and insight. Viewed from a historical perspective, it is of great interest to see the development of the distinct field of tissue engineering on the basis of the tradition of plastic surgery, the beginnings of an inextricable relationship. Today, the advances of tissue engineering continue to open up new possibilities in the field of plastic surgery. © 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.