title: Long-term follow up of post-surgical tooth autotransplantation: a retrospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present retrospective study was to evaluate the long-term results of tooth autotransplantation using the survival and success rates of transplanted teeth as outcome variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients received a total of 44 transplants of immature teeth from 1987 to 1997. Seventeen of those patients with 25 transplants were recalled 10-20 years after tooth transplantation for complete clinical and radiographic examinations, followed by questionnaires that examined the patients' degrees of satisfaction. The incidence of all types of complications was carefully analyzed. Success was defined as being free of all complications over the entire observation period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The long-term survival rate for transplants that were observed after at least 10 years was 96%. The cumulative complication rate (pulpal, periodontal, and operative complication rates) after an observation period of 10-20 years was 38.9%. Therefore, the success rate at 10 years was 61.1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study confirms that transplanted teeth have a high long-term survival rate and a lower long-term success rate. This procedure should be recommended and carried out in appropriate patients when necessary because it is the most biological approach, even though it is highly sensitive to technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mertens
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Abdessamad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boukari
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tenenbaum
mesh_terms: D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014070:Tooth / Q000637:transplantation*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: autotransplantation; long-term follow up; questionnaire; success rate; survival rate