L. Laurell et al., CLINICAL USE OF A BIORESORBABLE MATRIX BARRIER IN GUIDED TISSUE REGENERATION THERAPY - CASE SERIES, Journal of periodontology, 65(10), 1994, pp. 967-975
THIS CASE SERIES STUDY 19 Class II furcations and 47 intrabony defects
in 59 patients were treated according to the principles of guided tis
sue regeneration using a bioresorbable matrix barrier. Gingival condit
ion and device exposure were assessed at 2 weeks, and 1, 3, 6, and 12
months after surgery. The effect of therapy was evaluated by assessing
probing depths (PD), probing attachment level (PAL), and the position
of the gingival margin prior to surgery and 12 months after surgery.
Mild clinical signs of inflammation in the soft tissue covering the de
vice was found adjacent to 3 defects only and limited to the first mon
th of healing. Device exposure occurred at 10 out of the 66 defects. A
t the furcation defects, the mean PD reduction amounted to 3.7 mm (P l
ess than or equal to 0.001). Mean gain PAL vertical was 3.4 mm and PAL
horizontal 3.3 mm (P less than or equal to 0.001), resulting in compl
ete closure of 9 out of the 19 defects. Mean gingival recession was 0.
2 mm. At the intrabony defects mean PD reduction was 5.4 mm and mean g
ain of PAL 4.9 mm (P less than or equal to 0.001). Gingival recession
averaged 0.5 mm (P less than or equal to 0.05). It was concluded that
the use of the matrix barrier in GTR therapy resulted in 1) reduced pr
obing depths; 2) pronounced gain of clinical attachment; and 3) a very
low incidence of gingival pathology, gingival recession, and device e
xposure.