Autotransplanted Teeth Matched Immediate Implants in Meta-Analysis

Edited by Dentaltown staff

Autotransplanted mature teeth and immediate implants used to replace nonrestorable posterior teeth showed statistically similar success rates at 12 and 36 months. The finding comes from a systematic review and meta-analysis published online Sept. 29 in the Journal of Endodontics.

The analysis included 13 studies: seven on immediate implants covering 153 implants, and six on autotransplantation covering 189 teeth.

Neither difference was statistically significant.

Cuspal coverage was the significant predictor among transplanted teeth. An indirect restoration with cuspal coverage was associated with higher 36-month success (P = .015). Patient sex, age, and molar position did not significantly affect success. Wire splinting showed a marginal negative association at 12 months (P = .081).

The protocol was registered in advance on PROSPERO. Investigators searched PubMed, ScienceDirect, and the Cochrane Library for cohort studies published through April 2026 with at least 12 months of follow-up. Egger’s regression test found no evidence of publication bias at either interval.

The authors concluded that both approaches may be viable options for replacing posterior teeth. They said autotransplantation can serve as a biologically conservative alternative, and that the choice should depend on patient characteristics, donor tooth availability, anatomy, clinician expertise, and restorative requirements.

The review was conducted by investigators at Ajman University in the United Arab Emirates, with a co-author from the University of Lisbon.

The analysis pooled separate cohort studies for each treatment rather than head-to-head comparisons. The 36-month autotransplantation estimate had a wide confidence interval, 77.2% to 100%.

Sources:
Journal of Endodontics, “Autotransplantation versus Immediate Implant Placement for Replacement of Non-Restorable Posterior Teeth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” published online Sept. 29, 2026: doi.org/10.1016/j.joen.2026.09.009
PubMed, PMID 42810678: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42810678