An evaluation of bovine derived xenograft with and without a bioabsorbable collagen membrane in the treatment of mandibular Class II furcation defects.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of applying Bio-Oss, an anorganic bovine bone xenograft (control group) to the combined use of Bio-Oss and Bio-Gide (a bioabsorbable collagen membrane) (test group) in human mandibular Class II furcation defects.

METHODS: A total of 18 furcations (8 tests and 10 controls) in 14 patients suffering from chronic periodontitis were treated in this randomized clinical trial. Open vertical and horizontal furcation depths (OVFD and OHFD), vertical and horizontal clinical attachment levels (VCAL, HCAL), probing depth (PD) and free gingival marginal level (GML) were among the clinical parameters measured prior and six months after treatment, at re-entry surgery. The data were analysed by statistical tests while a p value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS: At the surgical re-entry, the mean reduction for OVFD of the control and test groups was 1.9 +/- 1.3 and 2.1 +/- 1.0, and for OHFD 2.1 +/- 0.7 and 2.4 +/- 1.3, respectively. The control and test treatments resulted in significant reductions in PD, VCAL and HCAL measurements at re-entry but there was no statistically significant difference between the two treatments in all soft and hard tissues measurements.

CONCLUSIONS: This clinical trial failed to demonstrate the superiority of the combined use of Bio-Gide and Bio-Oss to the use of Bio-Oss alone, although both therapies resulted in significant gains in attachment level and bone fill.