The effect of the chitosan-collagen membrane on wound healing process in rat mandibular defect

BACKGROUND: Collagen and chitosan are potential biomaterials for medical applications; chitosan-collagen membranes are used as a barrier membrane in guided tissue regeneration and guided bone regeneration. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of the chitosan-collagen membrane on wound healing in rat mandibular defect by counting the number of fibroblasts and new blood vessels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: As much as 24 male Wistar rats were divided into two groups, the treatment and control group. Bone defects were made In the rat mandible with diamond bur with a diameter of 2 mm, then the defect was covered with a chitosan-collagen membrane, and the control group was covered without application of chitosan-collagen membrane. After the 3(rd), 7(th), 14(th), and the 21(st) day, the defect site was analyzed histologically. The number of fibroblasts and blood vessels was counted under a light microscope, at five fields with ×1000 and ×400 microscope magnification. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: This study was done by using analysis of variance and unpaired t-test. RESULTS: The average number of fibroblasts and blood vessels in the treatment group was higher than the control group. There was a significant difference in the number of fibroblasts on the 3(rd) and 7(th) day (P = 0.001; P = 0.001) and the number of blood vessels on the 3(rd) day (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: The chitosan-collagen membrane was able to increase the number of fibroblasts and new blood vessels in the wound healing process.