title: Treatment of intrabony defects with enamel matrix proteins or bioabsorbable membranes. A 4-year follow-up split-mouth study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treatment with enamel matrix proteins (EMD) and guided tissue regeneration (GTR) with bioabsorbable membranes has been shown to promote periodontal regeneration; however, until now, there were only limited data on the long-term clinical results following these regenerative techniques. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to present the 4-year results following treatment of intrabony defects with EMD or guided tissue regeneration (GTR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients, each displaying one pair of intrabony defects located contralaterally in the same jaw, were randomly treated with EMD or with GTR by means of bioabsorbable membranes. The following clinical parameters were evaluated at baseline, at 1 year, and at 4 years after treatment: plaque index (P1), gingival index (G1), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD), gingival recession (GR), and clinical attachment level (CAL). The primary outcome variable was CAL. No statistically significant differences between the groups were found at baseline. Power analysis to determine superiority of EMD treatment showed that the available sample size would yield 70% power to detect a 1 mm difference.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sites treated with EMD demonstrated mean CAL change from 9.8 +/- 2.0 mm to 6.4 +/- 1.6 mm (P<0.001) and to 6.8 +/- 1.8 mm (P<0.001) at 1 and 4 years, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between the CAL mean at 1 and 4 years postoperatively. The sites treated with GTR showed a mean CAL change from 9.8 +/- 2.3 mm to 6.6 +/- 1.7 mm (P<0.001) at 1 year and to 6.9 +/- 1.8 mm (P<0.001) at 4 years. The CAL change between I and 4 years did not present statistically significant differences. No statistically significant differences in any of the investigated parameters were observed at 1 and 4 years between the treatment groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was concluded that the CAL gain obtained following treatment with EMD or GTR can be maintained over a 4-year period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology and Conservative Dentistry, University of Saarland, Homburg, Germany. anton.sculean@gmx.de
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sculean
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Donos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miliauskaite
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arweiler
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brecx
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000328:Adult; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery*; D003746:Dental Enamel Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016557:Guided Tissue Regeneration, Periodontal / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008875:Middle Aged; D019647:Oral Surgical Procedures; D010512:Periodontal Index; D011098:Polyglactin 910; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003746:Dental Enamel Proteins; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; C094810:Resolut; C109069:enamel matrix proteins; D011098:Polyglactin 910