Effects of bioactive glass, hydroxyapatite and bioactive glass – Hydroxyapatite composite graft particles in the treatment of infrabony defects

BACKGROUND: Several synthetic alloplastic materials have been used in the past as an implant in infrabony defects with a goal to reconstruct the lost part of attachment apparatus via new osseous tissue formation. The present study was undertaken to evaluate and compare clinico-radiographically, the effect of bioactive glass (BG), hydroxyapatite (HA), and BG-HA composite bone graft particles in the treatment of human infra-bony periodontal defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Indigenous synthetic HA, BG, and BG-HA composite bone graft materials were developed in the laboratory. Twenty eight infrabony periodontal defects were equally distributed (i.e., seven defects) into four groups. The defects were treated separately with three types of graft materials and non-grafted manner (open flap debridement alone, control) to evaluate both the soft and hard tissue responses after six months of surgery. Evaluation was done by studying different parameters such as plaque index, gingival index, relative attachment level, probing pocket depth, and radiographic bone fill in Intra Oral Peri-Apical radiograph. RESULTS: The healing of defects was uneventful and free of any biological complications. The gain in relative attachment level, reduction of probing pocket depth, and bone fill was statistically significant in all four groups. BG and BG-HA synthetic bone graft implanted sites showed significant bone fill (P<0.05) than hydroxyapatite and unimplanted control sites. CONCLUSION: The performance of BG and its composite was better compared to HA and open flap debridement alone for the reconstruction of infrabony defects. The BG-HA composite particles may effectively be used as an alternative bone graft material for infrabony defects.