The effect of bioactive membrane in alveolar ridge preservation: A double-blind randomized clinical trial

This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) with or without a biologically active amnion-chorion membrane (BACM).

Thirty patients requiring tooth extraction in the esthetic zone were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Both groups underwent tooth extraction and collagenated bovine bone grafting, while the test sites received an additional BACM. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and intraoral scans (IOS) were performed before extraction and at 4 months post-extraction. Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) were assessed. The primary endpoint was the change in vertical and horizontal hard and soft tissue dimensions as measured by CBCT and clinically.

All patients completed implant placement. CBCT measurements at 2 mm demonstrated that control and test groups exhibited reductions in horizontal ridge width with median decreases of 1.19 mm and 2.41 mm, respectively, with no significant differences (p = 0.126). For vertical height changes, the control and test groups experienced mean reductions of 0.99 ± 1.08 mm and 1.33 ± 0.73 mm, respectively, with no significant differences (p = 0.250). IOS analyses showed that mean soft tissue thickness at the alveolar crest was 2.67 ± 0.699 mm (p = 0.370) in the control versus 2.13 ± 0.807 mm (p = 0.846) in the test group, with no significant differences (p = 0.325).

The addition of a BACM did not improve the mean horizontal or vertical bone dimentional changes or have a measurable effect on the soft tissue outcome during ARP.