Absorbable Guided Bone Regeneration Membrane Fabricated from Dehydrothermal Treated Porcine Collagen

Purpose: Collagen membranes are used extensively as bioabsorbable barriers in guided bone regeneration. However, collagen has different effects on tissue restoration depending on the type, structure, degree of cross-linking and chemical treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inflammatory reaction, bone formation, and degradation of dehydrothermal treated porcine type I atelocollagen (CollaGuide) compared to of the non-crosslinked porcine type I, III collagen (BioGide) and the glutaldehyde cross-linked bovine type I collagen (BioMend) in surgically created bone defects in rat mandible. Methods: Bone defect model was based upon 3 mm sized full-thickness transcortical bone defects in the mandibular ramus of Sprague-Dawley rats. The defects were covered bucolingually with CollaGuide, BioMend, or BioGide (n=12). For control, the defects were not covered by any membrane. Lymphocyte, multinucleated giant cell infiltration, bone formation over the defect area and membrane absorption were evaluated at 4 weeks postimplantation. For comparison of the membrane effect over the bone augmentation, rats received a bone graft plus different covering of membrane. A mm sized block graft was harvested from the mandibular angle and was laid and stabilized with a microscrew on the naturally existing curvature of mandibular inferior border. After 10 weeks postimplantation, same histologic analysis were done. Results: In the defect model at 4 weeks post-implantation, the amount of new bone formed in defects was similar for all types of membrane. Bio-Gide membranes induced significantly greater inflammatory response and membrane resorption than other two membranes; characterized by lymphocytes and multinucleated giant cells. At 10 weeks postoperatively, all membranes were completely resorbed. Conclusion: Dehydrotheramal treated cross-linked collagen was safe and effective in guiding bone regeneration in alveolar ridge defects and bone augmentation in rats, similar to BioGide and BioMend, thus, could be clinically useful.