الفهرس 
Aim of the studyOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The craniofacial region is a complex tissue, consisting of bone, cartilage, soft tissue, nerves, and blood vessels. A number of conditions, such as cancer surgeries, trauma, congenital malformations, and progressively deforming skeletal diseases, can cause damage to these structures, leading to deformity.(1)
The only solution for extensive injuries is a reconstructive procedure. The bones of the craniofacial region provide the support for other elements, their successful regeneration and reconstruction are of the greatest importance to restore normal function of the craniofacial unit. The optimal bone constructed for the repair should be able to replicate the lost structure and completely restores its function and easily replaceable through the body’s physiologic processes, harmless for the patients and reliable in defects where the tissue is compromised because of infection, radiation, scarring, or extensive trauma.(2)
Although traditional orthognathic surgery and craniofacial reconstruction have gained a generalized acceptance and experienced widespread success, several limitations are associated with acute advancement of osteotomized bone segments. (3-5) One of the major limitations is the inability of the soft tissues to be acutely stretched. (6-9) Moreover, many of the congenital deformities require such large skeletal movements that the surrounding soft tissues cannot adapt to their new position, resulting in degenerative changes, relapse, and compromised function and aesthetics. (10-12)
In light of these limitations, alternative approaches have been developed to correct severe anteroposterior, transverse and vertical deformities of the craniofacial skeleton. One of these alternative approaches is the method of gradual bone distraction known as Distraction Osteogenesis (DO). Distraction osteogenesis is a biologic process that promotes bone formation between cut osseous surfaces that are gradually separated by incremental traction.(13) The