Tongue Transplantation

Abstract

The tongue is a vital organ that is integral to many basic human functions, such as speech and deglutition. The primary challenges in tongue reconstruction lie in its unique form and function, and complete functional rehabilitation is equally dependent on restoring sensory and motor functions. This review article discusses the background, history, and future of tongue reconstruction in the era of human tissue allotransplantation.

Telocytes constitute a widespread interstitial meshwork in the lamina propria and underlying striated muscle of human tongue

“…Nevertheless, we can assume that lingual TCs might play a variety of functions based either on their specific microanatomic locations or on the multiple physiologic roles that have been hypothesized for the TCs in previous works 1,2,4,6,30,40 . As proposed in a number of organs 1,4,6,31,32,40 , it can be speculated that the unique meshwork of TCs extending from the entire lamina propria to the stromal space of the underlying skeletal muscle might have a supportive role during both morphogenesis of the human tongue and post-natal shaping of its extraordinarily complex three-dimensional anatomic structure, that represents a great challenge in the context of regenerative medicine 50,57 . The lamina propria fibrous connective tissue provides support and nutrition to the lingual epithelium and, likely, the TC networks bordering the basal epithelial side and surrounding blood and lymphatic vessels may be important mediators of such functions.…”