Osteogenesis by guided tissue regeneration and demineralized bone matrix

Aim: To evaluate in a discriminating capsule model whether bone formation by guided tissue regeneration (GTR) may be influenced by concomitant implantation of demineralized bone matrix (DBM). Materials and Methods: Thirty 4-month-old male albino rats of the Wistar strain were used in the study. Following surgical exposure of the mandibular ramus, a hemispherical, Teflon capsule (5.0 mm in diameter), loosely packed with a standardized amount of DBM, was placed with its open part facing the lateral bone surface of the ramus. At the contralateral side, an empty capsule was placed, serving as control. After healing periods of 15, 30, and 120 days, groups of 10 animals were sacrificed and 40-70 mum thick undecalcified sections of the capsules were produced. In the sections, the cross-sectional areas of (1) the space created by the capsule, (2) newly formed bone, (3) DBM particles, (4) loose connective tissue as well as the (5) height of the capsules, and (6) that of the newly formed bone were measured. Results: Increasing bone fill was observed in both test and control sites from 30 to 120 days. After 30 days of healing, the mean amount of bone was approx. 3% of the cross-sectional area of the capsules at the test sites while it was 8% in the control sites (p<0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the test (46%) and control (64%) sites after 120 days regarding any of the measured parameters (p>0.05). The newly formed bone in the DBM group at 120 days, on the other hand, appeared more dense than that in the control capsules. Conclusion: DBM used as an adjunct to GTR did not provide any added effect on bone formation but increased the density of the newly formed bone.