A Clinical Evaluation of Guided Tissue Regeneration With a Bioabsorbable Matrix Membrane Combined With an Allograft Bone Graft. A Series of Case Reports

T he purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of a surgical technique in treating periodontal defects. The technique combined tetracycline treatment of a root planed root, grafting of the osseous defect with a demineralized freezedried bone allograft combined with tetracycline and the placement of a bioabsorbable matrix membrane, made of polylactic acid softened with citric acid ester. Thirty defects were treated in 27 patients. Statistically significant changes, as a result of the surgical procedure, were observed in marginal recession (mean: 0.5 mm), probing depth reductions (mean: 5.7 mm), and attachment level gain (mean: 5.2 mm). No statistically significant difference existed between the results in the furcation and non‐furcation groups. The defects with probing depths ≥ 10 mm had a greater mean probing depth reduction (7.4 mm) and mean attachment level improvement (7.2 mm) than the defects with < 10 mm probing depths (probing depth reduction 4.5 mm and attachment level gain 3.9 mm). The proposed surgical procedure seemed to be an effective method to treat periodontal defects. J Periodontol 1997;68:598–607 .