An experimental study of craniofacial growth in a heterotopic rat head transplant

In order to examine whether or not facial bones are themselves able to regulate their own growth, we devised a new experimental model in which we transplanted the whole head of an infant rat to the body of an isohistogeneic adult rat by means of microvascular anastomoses. The advantage of this model is that the transplanted head has neither scars nor any moving soft tissues that could modify growth around facial bones. Using this model, we conducted a study of the nasomaxillary region that has led us to conclude that facial bones do in fact regulate their own growth. The results also suggested that facial bone sutures play a more active role in the growth process than presently suspected.