[Recreation of tissue--the plastic surgeon's spring-board in to the 21st century]

During recent years, a new field has appeared, in which the principles of life sciences and engineering are applied to the development of methods of regenerating human tissue and organs. Since the emergence of this interdisciplinary field, plastic surgeons have been deeply involved in its development, both in the early stages and in introducing the methods into clinical practice. The article consists in discussion of the possibilities these methods offer and the impact they may have on the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery.