Histological and histomorphometric study of human palatal mucosa: Implications for connective tissue graft harvesting

Abstract

Aims: To analyse the histological structure and histomorphometric characteristics of human hard palatal mucosa in order to determine the donor site of choice for connective tissue grafts from a histological point of view. Materials and Methods: Palatal mucosa samples from six cadaver heads were harvested at four sites: incisal, premolar, molar and tuberosity. Histological and immunohistochemical techniques were performed, as was histomorphometric analysis. Results: In the current study, we found that the density and size of cells were higher in the superficial papillary layer, whereas the thickness of the collagen bundles increased in the reticular layer. Excluding the epithelium, the mean percentage of lamina propria (LP) and submucosa (SM) was 37% and 63%, respectively (p