Peripheral Occluding Effects of Non‐Absorbable Membranes on Ingrowth of Cultured Gingival Connective Tissue Cells

Background: The success of periodontal regenerative procedures, i.e., using regenerative cells to repopulate wounds, is enhanced by using barrier materials, such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes, to provide a barrier to the proliferation of epithelial cells and gingival connective tissue cells at the healing site. However, several animal and clinical studies have demonstrated the difficulties of avoiding thin connective tissue ingrowth under the ePTFE membrane used for bone regeneration procedures. We investigated the peripheral occluding effects of ePTFE membranes on ingrowth of cultured gingival connective tissue cells in vitro. Methods: The ePTFE membrane was divided into 4 pieces, fixed, and immobilized on a culture dish. Human connective tissue cells from clinically healthy gingiva were isolated and cultured. Low passages (2 through 3) of these cells, 5 × 105, were seeded and cultured in each dish. At weeks 1, 2, and 4, the ingrowth cells under the membranes were stained with Gie...