Periodontal regeneration of a Class II furcation defect utilizing a bioabsorbable barrier in a human. A case study with histology

This case report describes human histologic data of periodontal regeneratio n following guided tissue regeneration therapy (GTR) with a bioabsorbable b arrier composed of polylactic acid. The tooth that was examined was part of a previously published study of the clinical effects of GTR therapy withou t the use of bone or bone substitutes on Class II furcation defects. Twenty -five months following the surgical procedure, the tooth was extracted for non-periodontal reasons. During this extraction, the bone within the furcat ion that was treated in the study was luxated with the tooth. At the comple tion of the study (month 12), the furcation's vertical probing depth had de creased by 2 mm with a 2 mm gain in clinical attachment. The horizontal fur cation measurement decreased by 3 mm, Following extraction, the tooth was p repared for light microscopy and sectioned in the mesial-distal plane. Refe rence notches were not placed in the tooth at the time of surgery as there were no plans to perform histologic analysis in the study. However using th e buccal root prominences and what we interpreted to be root planing marks on the cementum, we were able to demonstrate that complete periodontal rege neration occurred on the root surface that was exposed to the pocket enviro nment prior to surgery. New alveolar bone, cementum, and periodontal ligame nt were consistently observed throughout the furcation in the areas that de monstrated clinical attachment gain and a decrease in horizontal probing de pth. This case report adds to the accumulating evidence of histologic perio dontal regeneration following guided tissue regeneration with bioabsorbable polylactic acid barriers.