The use of a natural osteoconductive porous bone mineral (Bio-Oss™) in infrabony periodontal defects

AIM: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a bovine derived xenograft Bio-Oss™ and to compare with open flap debridement in human infrabony periodontal defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve healthy patients (5 males, 7 females; aged 30-50 years), with no systemic disease with moderate to severe periodontitis were treated. Surgically defects were included only if presence of two or more vertical osseous defects as verified by radiographs with associated probing pocket depth of ≥5.0 mm following non-surgical therapy. Final selection included 24 defects. The defects were randomly assigned treatment with bovine derived xenograft Bio-Oss™ as experimental sites or open flap debridement as control sites. Soft tissue and hard tissue measurements were recorded on the day of surgery and six months post-operatively. RESULTS: The results showed significant difference statistically between experimental and control sites in all measurements. Soft tissue measurements for the experimental sites included probing pocket depth reduction of 4.33±0.651 mm and attachment gain of 2.92±0.9003 mm, while the control sites showed a probing pocket depth reduction of 2.92±0.669 mm and a attachment gain of 0.583±0.515 mm. Osseous measurements showed bone fill of 1.936±1.046 mm (54.065±12.642%) for experimental sites and 0.02±0.01 mm (0.534±0.384%) for the control sites. Defect resolution was 50.75% for the experimental sites and 5.45% for the control sites. CONCLUSION: Bio-Oss™ is a bone graft material of considerable promise. However, further long term clinical studies with histological evaluation are warranted.