[Clinical application of tissue-engineered autologous oral mucosa transplants].

BACKGROUND

Tissue engineering of autogenous oral mucosa is a significant enrichment for various indications in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Besides preprosthetic surgery and prelamination of microvascular fasciocutaneous flaps, interdisciplinary work such as reconstruction procedures in cases of hypospadias and epispadias are the main indications for tissue-engineered oral mucosa.

RESULTS

One main advantage of this technique is the reduction of second surgical procedures. The morbidity is decreased and the quality of life may be significantly increased. The manufacture of tissue-engineered autogenous oral mucosa up to 15 cm(2) requires a small biopsy of oral mucosa (4-8 mm(3)) and 40 ml of autogenous serum.

DISCUSSION: The clinical and morphological long-term follow-up after different surgical procedures with tissue-engineered oral mucosa establishes this technique as an excellent additional tool in oral and maxillofacial surgery.