Methods: Systematic search in Pubmed database was performed using keywords “bone engineering” and “bone tissue engineering” and also by manual search in selected journals until March 2012. Studies which had analyzed craniofacial defect treatment in human or animal models, and also related in vitro studies using scaffolds and stem cells were included in this study.
Results: According to these 69 articles, which were completely read and analyzed, there are 4 main categories of scaffolds: ceramic, non-ceramic or polymer, composite (ceramic + polymer), and metal. Ceramic scaffolds are either natural or synthetic.
Conclusions: Based on the results of this systematic review, ceramics and polymers have been two most used scaffolds in these years. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) have been used frequently.