A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF EPTFE PERIODONTAL MEMBRANES WITH AND WITHOUT DECALCIFIED FREEZE-DRIED BONE ALLOGRAFTS FOR THE REGENERATION OF INTERPROXIMAL INTRAOSSEOUS DEFECTS

A COMPARATIVE STUDY WHICH EVALUATED two treatment modalities for regen eration of interproximal periodontal lesions was conducted. Eleven pai rs of advanced periodontal lesions in 11 human subjects (6 male and 5 female) were treated in a split mouth design with expanded polytetrafl uoroethylene (ePTFE) interproximal membranes alone (control) in one le sion and ePTFE interproximal membranes in combination with decalcified freeze-dried bone (test) in the other lesion. At 1 year post-treatmen t, both treatment modalities revealed a significant increase in clinic al attachment levels from baseline (2.0 +/- 1.37 mm test, 2.0 +/- 0.88 mm control) with no significant differences between the two modalitie s. When the amount of new bone formed in these lesions was assessed us ing re-entry procedures, a significant difference in new bone formatio n from baseline was found only for lesions treated with ePTFE alone (0 .4 +/- 0.78 mm test, 1.3 +/- 0.96 mm control). It was concluded that a t 1 year post-treatment, significant clinical attachment gains could b e obtained by the use of ePTFE barriers with or without DFDBA. Statist ically significant results in bone fill were only found when ePTFE bar riers were used alone.