RADIOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF BONE REGENERATION FOLLOWING PERIODONTAL SURGERY WITH OR WITHOUT EXPANDED POLYTETRAFLUOROETHYLENE BARRIERS

IN 16 PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED PERIODONTITIS, 23 teeth exhibiting interp roximal intrabony defects were treated by conventional periodontal sur gery (n = 10, control) or guided tissue regeneration (GTR) technique u sing expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) barriers (n = 13, test), respectively. Clinical parameters were assessed before and 6 months a fter surgery. Presurgically and 3 and 6 months postsurgically standard ized bite-wing radiographs were taken. Using a loupe and a computer-as sisted system, respectively, the distances from the cemento-enamel jun ction (CEJ) to alveolar crest (AC) and CEJ to the most apical extensio n of bony defect (ED) were measured. The average gain of attachment wa s assessed 2.33 mm in the control group and 3.17 mm in the test group, The bony fill was measured 0.97 mm and 0.97 mm in the control group a nd 0.93 mm and 1.68 mm in the test group after 3 and 6 months, respect ively, using a loupe. Using a computer-assisted system 0.83 mm and 1.8 2 mm of bone fill could be measured (control) and 0.76 mm and 1.79 mm (test) after 3 and 6 months, respectively. Compared to the gold standa rd of surgical measurements, the computer-assisted analysis of radiogr aphs underestimated bone loss significantly less than evaluation with a loupe (P < 0.002). Compared to conventional periodontal surgery, the GTR technique resulted in higher attachment gain and bony fill. Howev er, the high variation of surgical results in the test group prevented the calculation of a statistically significant difference.