Guided bone regeneration with tripolyphosphate cross-linked asymmetric chitosan membrane

The objective of this study was to prepare a novel asymmetric chitosan guided bone regeneration (GBR) membrane, which is composed of a dense layer isolating the bone defect from the invasion of surrounding connective fibrous tissue and a loose layer which can improve cell adhesion and stabilize blood clots, thus guided bone regeneration.

The chitosan membrane was fabricated through liquid nitrogen quencher combined with lyophilization and cross-linked by sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP). The physical properties of asymmetric chitosan membrane were measured by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and tensile test machine. MTT assay and Live/Dead cell staining for MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts cultured on the membrane were used to characterize the biocompatibility of the membrane. In animal experiments, full-thickness and critical sized skull defects were made to evaluate the effect of the membrane on bone regeneration.

The results of this study indicate that the asymmetric chitosan membrane can be built and cross-linked by TPP to enhance the tensile strength of the membrane. In vitro experiment showed that no significant numbers of dead cells were detected on the chitosan membrane, indicating that the membrane had good biocompatibility. In animal experiments, the chitosan membrane had faster new bone formation, showing the capability to enhance bone regeneration.

The chitosan membrane prepared in this study has an asymmetric structure; its tensile strength, biodegradation and biocompatibility fulfil the requirements of guided bone regeneration. Therefore, the asymmetric chitosan membrane is a promising GBR membrane for bone regeneration.

Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is an effective method for healing bone defects caused by periodontitis and implantitis, in which GBR membrane is a key biomaterial.