Tissue characteristics of root resorption areas in transplanted maxillary canines.

T Berglundh, B Thilander, S Sagne

Index: Acta Odontol. Scand. 55(4) , 206-11, (1997)

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to describe some histopathologic features of tissues collected from root resorption areas of maxillary canines after transalveolar transplantation surgery. In 8 of 101 transplanted canines, complications including cervical root resorption occurred between 6 and 11 years after treatment. The resorptive processes were located at the supra-alveolar portions of the distal and/or mesial aspects of the teeth and were scheduled for treatment involving surgical exploration. The resorption cavities, which extended from the cementoenamel junction to a position immediately below the bone crest, were filled with a granulation tissue. In four of the diagnosed complication cases, this granulation tissue was carefully excised concomitant with the adjacent gingival tissue after flap elevation and placed in a buffered fixative. After proper soft-tissue healing, the cavities were filled with a glass-ionomer material. The collected biopsy specimens were, after fixation and, in one case, decalcification in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, dehydrated and embedded in Epon. Sections 3 microns thick were produced, stained in periodic acid-Schiff and toluidine blue, and used for histometric and morphometric analyses. The histologic analysis showed that the dissected tissue harbored well-encapsulated areas of inflammatory infiltrates. The lesions comprised a relatively low volume of collagen and a large number of inflammatory cells, predominantly lymphocytes.