Influence of adding a pericardium membrane to the bioactive shield technique in vestibular socket therapy for...

This investigation aimed to compare the efficacy of a slowly resorbable cortical laminar bone membrane (CLBM), used either in isolation or in combination with a pericardium membrane, alongside an enriched bone graft. The treatment was to ascertain improvements in buccal plate thickness, buccal plate height, and soft-tissue thickness after immediate dental implant placement into Type II alveolar sockets managed with VST. Thirty participants with type II alveolar sockets were randomly assigned to two experimental cohorts. They received immediate implants with CLBM after sticky bone application in group A. In group B, they received coverage with a pericardium membrane after application of CLBM and sticky bone. All participants underwent periodic clinical and radiographic assessments over a six-month follow-up duration. At 6 months, Group B showed a statistically significant augmentation in buccal bone thickness at the coronal (p-value = 0.04) and midpoint (p-value = 0.02). Furthermore, Group A manifested a highly significant decrease in buccal plate height (p-value = 0.002). Soft tissue thickness shows a non-significant reduction in soft tissue values in group A(p-value = 0.36) and a significant increase in group B (p- value = < 0.001). The integration of a pericardial membrane with a cortical lamellar bone membrane and an autologous fibrin-rich bone graft demonstrated a synergistic effect, culminating in superior alveolar bone preservation. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06867848.