In vitro and in vivo evaluation of chitosan/β‐glycerol phosphate composite membrane for guided bone regeneration

Chitosan and β‐glycerol phosphate (CS/β‐GP) composite, with a thermosensitive sol–gel transition behavior, has been tested as one of the viable materials for barrier membrane fabrication. These studies have provided us with a new concept for a guided bone regeneration (GBR) membrane design. The composition, porous structure of the membrane, and the neutral mild preparation procedures make the CS/β‐GP membrane a potentially active guide for bone regeneration. In this study, the CS/β‐GP composite membrane, with different concentrations of β‐GP, was studied to assess their potential utility in GBR application. The initial attachment of the ST2 stromal cell line to the CS/β‐GP composite membrane was better than their attachment to the pure CS membrane. The proliferation and osteoblastic differentiation of the cells were much higher on the CS/β‐GP composite membrane as compared to the pure CS membrane ( p  < 0.05). A mild inflammatory response was observed around the implanted CS/β‐GP composite membrane without any foreign body reaction that continued up to 4 weeks of postsurgery. This primary study indicated that the in vitro and in vivo bioactivities of the CS/β‐GP composite membrane fulfilled the requirements for GBR technique. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 2911–2917, 2014.