The use of irradiated-crosslinked human collagen membrane in guided tissue regeneration

Irradiated glutaraldehyde-crosslinked human collagen membrane was evaluated for its effects on new attachment formation in clinical trials, using the principle of guided tissue regeneration (GTR). 19 adult periodontitis patients with 52 matched bilateral periodontal defects received scaling and polishing with oral hygiene instruction. The bilateral periodontal defects were treated by reflecting a flap with collagen membrane (test) or flap reflection alone (control). Plaque (P1I) and gingival index (GI) scorings, probing pocket depth (PPD) and probing attachment level (PAL) along with classification of furcation involvement (FI) and bony defects were made at pre- and post surgery (6 weeks, 3 and 6 months). Improvement of P1I and GI scores was seen in both test and control sites following the surgical therapy. Reductions in PPD and PAL were significantly (p less than 0.001) more pronounced at 6 months in the test sites compared to the controls. The 2 Class I furcations in the graft-treated teeth showed complete resolution, while the corresponding furcations in the control teeth showed incomplete closure. The use of human collagen membrane based on the GTR technique for treatment of human periodontal defects provided greater gain of clinical attachment than when flap surgery alone was undertaken.