EVALUATION OF A COLLAGEN MEMBRANE WITH AND WITHOUT BONE-GRAFTS IN TREATING PERIODONTAL INTRABONY DEFECTS

THE AIM OF THIS STUDY was to compare the clinical regenerative capacit y of collagen membrane with and without demineralized freeze-dried bon e allografts (DFDBA) in treating periodontal intrabony defects. Ten sy stemically healthy patients with similar bilateral periodontal defects were scheduled for surgery. Each patient had at least greater than or equal to 6 mm clinical probing depth and loss of attachment at select ed sites. Baseline measurements included gingival index (GI), plaque i ndex (PI), gingival recession (GR), clinical attachment level (CAL), p robing depth (PD), and mobility. At the time of surgery, the defects w ere randomly assigned to either test (collagen membrane plus DFDBA) or control group (collagen membrane only). Stent to base of the defects, stent to crest bone, crest of bone to base of the defect, and width o f the defects were recorded at the time of surgery and reentry. Eight patients returned after 6 months for reentry surgery. Statistical anal ysis with a paired t test was used to evaluate the treatment effect an d comparison between test and control groups. In addition, a McNemar t est was used to analyze the significance of GI, PI, and mobility at di fferent times. The result of this study indicated that both the collag en plus DFDBA and the collagen alone treatment groups had a significan t decrease of PD (3.4 +/- 0.4 and 3.2 +/- 0.4 mm), gain of CAL (2.3 +/ - 0.5 and 2.0 +/- 0.4 mm), and defect fill (1.7 +/- 0.3 and 1.9 +/- .0 .9 mm) (P < 0.05) when compared to the presurgery status, However, the re was no significant difference in PD, AL, GR, defect fill, crestal b one resorption, GI, PI, or mobility between the test group and control group, No adverse tissue reaction, infection, or delayed wound healin g was noted throughout the treatment in either group. This study sugge sts that the collagen membrane is well tolerated by the human tissues, Both treatments, either collagen membrane plus DFDBA or collagen memb rane alone, promoted significant resolution of periodontal intrabony d efects. The addition of a bone graft (DFDBA) with a collagen membrane appears to add no extra benefit to the collagen membrane treatment.