Biomaterials in the management of cleft lip and palate: current applications and future directions

Cleft lip and palate (CL/P) management spans diverse developmental phases, imposing dynamic requirements on adjunctive biomaterials. Although these materials hold significant promise for wound closure, infection control, fibrosis mitigation, tissue replacement, and drug delivery, their translation remains largely preclinical and uneven. The principal challenge lies in matching material design to specific surgical problems, necessitating rigorous indication-specific validation. To clarify this landscape, this review organizes the evidence around primary repair, secondary reconstruction, and prenatal or experimental applications, distinguishing established practices from emerging concepts to define design requirements for future translation.