Pediatric craniofacial surgery: a review for the multidisciplinary team.

Pediatric craniofacial surgery is a specialty that grew dramatically in the 20th century and continues to evolve today. Out of the efforts to correct facial deformities encountered during World War II, the techniques of modern craniofacial surgery developed. An analysis of the relevant literature allowed the authors to explore this historical progression. Current advances in technology, tissue engineering, and molecular biology have further refined pediatric craniofacial surgery. The development of distraction osteogenesis and the progressive study of craniosynostosis provide remarkable examples of this momentum. The growing study of genetics, biotechnology, the influence of growth factors, and stem cell research provide additional avenues of innovation for the future. The following article is intended to reveal a greater understanding of pediatric craniofacial surgery by examining the past, present, and possible future direction. It is intended both for the surgeon, as well as for the nonsurgical individual specialists vital to the multidisciplinary craniofacial team.