title: [Advantages and disadvantages of composite tissue allotransplantation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the research progress of composite tissue allotransplantation (CTA), analyze the superiority and the inferiority, and inform the possible direction of further research.
  
  
  METHODS
  Literature concerning CTA was reviewed and analyzed in terms of the limits of conventional reparative and reconstructive surgery, the definition of CTA, potential advantages, and treatment risks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The clinical research of CTA both at home and abroad proved that the therapeutic effect of CTA was better than that of conventional reparative and reconstructive surgery. However, the risks resulting from immunosuppressive therapy were still the primary factors restraining the wide clinical application of CTA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The development of immunosuppressive therapy explores a great development potential for the CTA, and how to decrease the treatment risk of immunosuppressive therapy will be the main research direction in the field of CTA.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plastic Surgery of Chinese PLA, Xijing Hospital, the Fourth Military Medical University of Chinese PLA, Xi'an Shaanxi, 710032, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Binglun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Chenggang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Shuzhong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D016378:Tissue Transplantation; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous