title: Soft tissue volume alterations after connective tissue grafting at teeth: the subepithelial autologous connective tissue graft versus a porcine collagen matrix - a pre-clinical volumetric analysis.
abstract: This study evaluates a porcine collagen matrix (CM) for soft tissue thickening in comparison to the subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG).
  
  
  
  In eight beagle dogs, soft tissue thickening was performed at the buccal aspects of the upper canines (SCTG and CM). Impressions were taken before augmentation (i1), after surgery (i2), after one (i3), three (i4) and ten month (i5). Casts were optically scanned with a 3D scanner and each augmented region (unit of analysis) evaluated (primary outcome variable: volume increase in mm(3) ; secondary outcome variables: volume increase in percent, mean and maximum thickness increases in mm).
  
  
  
  3D tissue measurements after surgery revealed a significant higher volume increase in the CM (86.37 mm(3)  ± 35.16 mm(3) ) than in the SCTG group (47.65 mm(3)  ± 17.90 mm(3) ). After 10 months, volume increase was non-significant between groups (SCTG:11.36 mm(3)  ± 9.26 mm(3) ; CM: 8.67 mm(3)  ± 13.67 mm(3) ). Maximum soft tissue thickness increase (i1-i5) was 0.66 mm ± 0.29 mm (SCTG) and 0.79 mm ± 0.37 mm (CM) with no significant difference.
  
  
  
  Ten months after soft tissue thickening, the CM is statistically non-inferior to the SCTG in terms of soft tissue volume and thickness increase. Further 3D studies are needed to confirm the data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ragai E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Matta
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3763-3122
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moest
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Humann
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gammel
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Friedrich W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Neukam
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Schlegel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003094:Collagen; D003238:Connective Tissue; D004285:Dogs; D005881:Gingiva; D005889:Gingival Recession; D013552:Swine; D014092:Tooth Root
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen
keywords: CAD CAM; collagen matrix; collagen-based matrix; dental implants; gingiva thickening; gingival biotype; mucoderm®; porcine collagen matrix; soft tissue augmentation; soft tissue volume; subepithelial connective tissue graft; volumetric measurement