The skeletal system is structurally and functionally unique. It can be referred to as connective tissue that lost its ability to resist mineralization as mineralization in any other connective tissues is heterotopic. In addition to providing support for muscular attachments, the skeletal system protects nerves and harbors the hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells within the bone marrow compartment. However, there are distinct phenotypic and functional differences between the orofacial skeleton compared to axial and appendicular skeleton. How different is the jaw bone from other non-craniofacial bones? Interestingly, developmental, biological, and clinical outcomes point to distinctive features that make the jaw bone unique.
Keywords: graft; mesenchymal stem cells; orofacial; regeneration.
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