Human-based tissue-engineered implants for plastic and reconstructive surgery.

The emerging field of tissue engineering focuses on the creation of living tissues and organs for use in tissue repair and transplantation. Human cells are seeded onto biocompatible scaffolds and grown under physiologic conditions to produce all-human biointeractive implants. Tissue-engineered skin implants have shown efficacy in a variety of wound applications. Near term products, including injectable human matrix for contour defects and tissue-engineered cartilage, are proving to be important tools for plastic and reconstructive surgery.