Book excerpt: Dr. McCarthy and his colleagues at NYU have developed techniques of distracting various components of the craniofacial skeleton. These techniques hold considerable promise for reconstructive surgery, allowing the surgeon to make precise changes in the lengthening and shape of the new craniofacial bone. This is the first volume of its kind, bringing together the pioneers of these revolutionary techniques: an international group of experts present their clinical and laboratory experience with distraction of the cranial vault, orbit, midface and zygoma, and mandible, as well as the principles of distraction, biomechanics, and the physiology of bone healing and remodelling. With two hundred illustrations, this is a must for all reconstructive plastic, maxillofacial, and oral surgeons.