Guided tissue regeneration with a bioabsorbable polylactic acid membrane in gingival recessions. A histometric study in dogs.
BACKGROUND
The goal of this investigation was to histologically and histometrically evaluate the healing process of gingival recessions treated by guided tissue regeneration with bioabsorbable polylactic acid membranes (GTR group) and to compare it to that obtained with coronally positioned flaps (CPF group).


METHODS
Gingival recessions were surgically created on the buccal aspect of the upper cuspids of 5 mongrel dogs. The defects (5x7 mm) were exposed to plaque accumulation for 3 months. The contralateral defects were then randomly assigned to each group. After 3 months of healing, the dogs were sacrificed and the blocks were processed. The histometric parameters evaluated included length of sulcular and junctional epithelium, connective tissue adaptation, new cementum, new bone, and defect coverage.


RESULTS
The extension of the epithelium was 1.9 +/- 0.8 mm for the GTR-group and 3.0 +/- 0.9 mm for the CPF-group (P = 0.16). The connective tissue adaptation was 0.1 +/- 0.1 and 0.8 +/- 0.5 mm in the GTR group and CPF group, respectively (P = 0.051). The new cementum was 3.8 +/- 1.5 mm and 2.4 +/- 0.3 mm in the GTR group and CPF group, respectively (P= 0.16). Bone formation was 1.1 +/- 0.5 mm in the GTR group and 1.4 +/- 0.2 mm in the CPF group (P = 0.53). Histologically, the defect coverage observed was similar, 90.5% and 91.9% for the GTR group and the CPF group, respectively. No statistical differences in any of the parameters could be detected.


CONCLUSIONS
Within the limits of this study, it can be concluded that both procedures resulted in a favorable healing response with no significant difference between the treatments.
Casati
M Z
MZ
Department of Prosthodontics and Periodontics, School of Dentistry at Piracicaba, UNICAMP, São Paulo, Brazil.
Sallum
E A
EA
Caffesse
R G
RG
Nociti
F H
FH
Sallum
A W
AW
Pereira
S L
SL
D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000818:Animals; D001861:Bone Regeneration; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000502:physiology; D003739:Dental Cementum / Q000502:physiology; D004285:Dogs; D004846:Epithelial Attachment / Q000502:physiology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000601:surgery*; D016557:Guided Tissue Regeneration, Periodontal / Q000379:methods*; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D017622:Periodontal Attachment Loss / Q000503:physiopathology; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D011897:Random Allocation; D012038:Regeneration; D013524:Surgical Flaps
D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D019344:Lactic Acid; C033616:poly(lactide)