autoinjerto

Autoinjerto, or autograft, is a tissue graft transplanted within the same individual. The donor and recipient sites are in the same person, which minimizes or eliminates immune rejection and typically avoids the need for systemic immunosuppression. Autografts are distinguished from allografts (transplants between individuals of the same species) and xenografts (transplants between different species).

Common autograft tissues include bone autografts for spinal fusion or fracture repair (often harvested from the iliac crest or tibia); split-thickness or full-thickness skin autografts for extensive burns; tendon autografts for ligament reconstruction (for example, anterior cruciate ligament surgery using patellar tendon or hamstring grafts); nerve autografts such as sural nerve grafts; fat autografts for soft tissue contouring; cartilage autografts in joint repair; and hair follicle autografts in cosmetic hair restoration. Autologous bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cell autografts are used in hematologic malignancies and certain autoimmune conditions.

Advantages include a reduced risk of immune rejection and the avoidance of long-term immunosuppression. Disadvantages involve the need for a second operative site to harvest the tissue, potential donor-site morbidity, and limited tissue availability. Graft viability depends on revascularization and, in bone grafts, on the graft’s osteogenic properties to support healing and integration.