Bone regeneration using the principle of guided tissue regeneration

The biological principle of "guided tissue regeneration" (GTR) was developed for regenerating periodontal tissues, lost as a result of periodontal disease. This principle was based on the hypothesis that non-desirable types of tissue cells can be prevented from migrating into a wound by means of a membrane barrier and at the same time giving preference to those particular cells to repopulate the wound, which have the capacity to regenerate the desired type of tissue. This principle may have its application in many areas of surgery, aimed at regeneration of lost tissues. One such area is osseous surgery aimed at bone regeneration. In the present paper, a series of experiments in laboratory animals using the method of GTR for regeneration of various types of bone defects are presented as well as examples of application in humans for regeneration of jaw bone defects in conjunction with the placement of dental implants.