Contour changes after guided bone regeneration of large non-contained mandibular buccal bone defects using deproteinized bovine bone mineral and a porcine-derived collagen membrane: an experimental in vivo investigation.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate soft tissue contour changes after three different regenerative therapies in chronic ridge defects. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Buccal bone defects were created in the mandible of nine beagle dogs. Augmentation procedures were performed 3 months later using a bone replacement graft (BRG), resorbable collagen membrane (MBG), or a combination of both procedures (CBG). Silicone impressions were taken before tooth extraction (T1), before the augmentation procedure (T2), and 3 months after the regenerative surgeries (T3). Casts were optically scanned and stereolithography files were superimposed to analyze the horizontal changes in ridge contours. RESULTS: After defect creation, most part of the horizontal changes occurred 4 and 6 mm below the gingival margin. In the mesial defect (D1) at T3, the mean horizontal gain in MBG amounted to 0.47 +/- 0.34 mm, 0.79 +/- 0.67 mm in the BRG, and 0.87 +/- 0.69 mm for the CBG. In the middle defect (D2), the mean changes for the MBG were 0.11 +/- 0.31, 1.01 +/- 0.91 for the BRG, and 0.98 +/- 0.49 for the CBG. The mean changes in the distal defect (D3) amounted to 0.24 +/- 0.72 for the MBG, 1.04 +/- 0.92 for the BRG, and 0.86 +/- 0.56 for the CBG. The differences reached significance in all defects for the comparison MBG-BRG and MBG-CBG, while similar parameters were observed for the comparison BRG-CBG. CONCLUSION: BRG and CBG were equally effective and superior to MBG in increasing the horizontal tissue contours. The augmentation seldom reached the values before extraction. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Scaffolding materials are needed for contour augmentation when using resorbable collagen membranes.