OSTEOPROMOTION - A SOFT-TISSUE EXCLUSION-PRINCIPLE USING A MEMBRANE FOR BONE HEALING AND BONE NEOGENESIS

THE RESEARCH REVIEWED IN THIS PAPER constitutes a series of investigat ions intended to develop and evaluate a new membrane technique, which provides improved conditions for osteogenesis during healing of bone d efects and restitution of earlier existing bone. The technique has als o been shown to aid in bone grafting as well as having the capacity to create new bone for reconstructive purposes. According to this method ology, membranes are utilized to create a space in the tissue in which osteogenesis can occur relatively unimpeded. The paper provides a rev iew of our initial animal experimental work as well as some clinical s tudies with special emphasis on membrane use in conjunction with denta l implants. Possible mechanisms behind the efficacy of the membrane te chnique are reviewed, and future perspectives of development are also discussed. The osteopromotive membrane technique represents a principa lly new and major advance in bone biology and reconstructive skeletal surgery. Based on the results obtained by us and by others, the techni que is presently utilized clinically in some routine applications.