Clinical and radiographic treatment evaluation of class III furcation defects using GTR with and without inorganic bone matrix.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) alone and in conjunction with a bovine inorganic bone matrix in furcation defects.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Twenty class III furcation defects were treated in 18 non-smoker patients, 35-75 years old. Horizontal (CAL-H) and vertical clinical attachment levels (CAL-V), probing depths (PD), gingival margin levels (GML), horizontal (BDL-H) and vertical bone defect levels (BDL-V), and alveolar crest levels (ACL) were performed at baseline and at 6-month re-entry procedures. Subtraction radiography was used to assess gain or loss in optical density (OD) and area of bone fill (A) (baseline/6 months). After flap elevation, the sites were randomly assigned to receive GTR + Bio-Oss (test) or GTR treatment alone (control). Results were evaluated using anova.

RESULTS

Differences were statistically significant between baseline and re-entry for PD, ACL (p < 0.01) and GML (p < 0.05) for the control group, and for BDL-V (p < 0.01) for the test group. There was a gain in ACL for the test group and a reduction in ACL for the control group (p < 0.01). No differences were observed for OD and A.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study indicate that class III furcation defects are not predictably resolved utilizing GTR or GTR in combination with an inorganic bone matrix.