GUIDED JAW-BONE REGENERATION USING AN EXPERIMENTAL RABBIT MODEL

The aims of this study were to evaluate the space-maintaining capacity of two biocompatible barrier materials and to assess the effect of ba rrier occlusiveness on the amount of regenerated bone. Defects were pr epared in the edentulous area on both sides of the maxillas in 22 rabb its. The rabbits were divided into three groups. Gore-Tex(R) augmentat ion material (GTAM) (ePTFE)-barriers were placed to cover the experime ntal defects and compared with totally occlusive or perforated titaniu m foils and uncovered control defects respectively. After four weeks o f healing, histological analyses and morphometrical measurements demon strated that the amount of regenerated bone tissue was about the same underneath the collapsed GTAM-barriers as in the controls. The highest degree of regeneration was obtained in defects underneath the titaniu m foils, particularly if they were perforated, whether or not they wer e covered by GTAM-barriers. It was concluded that the space-maintainin g properties of a barrier may be at least as important as barrier occl usiveness when regenerating bone defects.