title: Treatment of soft tissue recessions at titanium implants using a resorbable collagen matrix: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To histologically assess the effectiveness of a porcine-derived collagen matrix (CM) and a subepithelial connective tissue graft (CTG) for the coverage of single mucosal recessions at osseointegrated dental implants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chronic-type mucosal Miller Class I-like recessions (mean clinical defect height: 0.67 ± 0.33-1.16 ± 0.19 mm) were established at the buccal aspect of titanium implants with platform switch in six beagle dogs. The defects were randomly allocated to either (1) coronally advanced flap surgery (CAF) + CM, (2) CAF + CTG or (3) CAF alone. At 12 weeks, histomorphometrical measurements were made (e.g.) between the implant shoulder (IS) and the mucosal margin (PM) and IS and the outer contour of the adjacent soft tissue (mucosal thickness [MT]).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All treatment procedures investigated were associated with an almost complete soft tissue coverage of the defect area (i.e. coronal positioning of PM relative to IS). Mean IS-PM and MT values tended to be increased in both CAF + CM (1.04 ± 0.74 mm/0.71 ± 0.55 mm) and CAF + CTG (0.88 ± 1.23 mm/0.62 ± 0.66 mm) groups when compared with CAF (0.16 ± 0.28 mm/0.34 ± 0.23 mm) alone. These differences, however, did not reach statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within the limits of this pilot study, it was concluded that all treatment procedures investigated were effective in covering soft tissue recessions at titanium implants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Surgery, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: Ilja
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mihatovic
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shirakata
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bosshardt
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sculean
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000637:transplantation*; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous / Q000379:methods*; D015921:Dental Implants; D004285:Dogs; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000601:surgery; D016348:Osseointegration; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013524:Surgical Flaps; D014025:Titanium
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants; D003094:Collagen; D014025:Titanium
keywords: animal study; collagen matrix; histomorphometry; soft tissue recession