[Membranes in pre-implantation surgery]

The use of membranes in pre-implantation surgery is part of the guided bone regeneration (GBR) concept, one of the usual bone augmentation techniques. Membranes for GBR procedures have two main uses: a mechanical function to maintain bone regeneration space and a physical function as cellular barrier. The goal is to promote colonization of the regeneration space located under the membrane, by osteogenic cells from the residual bone walls. GBR was the subject of numerous publications and protocols since its first use in the 1980s. These protocols are mainly supported by team experience and the level of evidence is poor. Few indications are truly validated. The goal of our study was to review the recent literature on membrane use for pre-implantations surgery, and, in the absence of any consensus, to provide some arguments for their rational use.