Efficacy of recombinant human fibroblast growth factor 2 impregnated absorbable collagen membrane in the treatment of Miller's Class I and II gingival recession defects Preliminary results from the first in human clinical trial

AIMS: This study was a single-arm trial to obtain preliminary data on the efficacy of collagen membranes impregnated with recombinant human fibroblast growth factor-2 (rhFGF-2) in the treatment of Miller's Class I and II gingival recessions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one individuals (34 sites) presenting with localized Miller's Class I and II gingival recessions were included in this study. Following a standard surgical protocol, rhFGF-2-impregnated membranes were placed in sites with gingival recession. Clinical parameters such as width of keratinized gingiva (wKG), recession depth (RD), and probing depth were measured at baseline and after therapy completion at 3 and 6 months. RESULTS: Most of the sites exhibited favorable clinical healing; the most common complications were persistent edematous and inflamed gingivae beyond 1 week (n = 3), development of residual periodontal pockets (n = 2), and no reduction in RDs (n = 2). Significant improvements in wKG and RD were noted from baseline to 6 months. CONCLUSION: rhFGF-2-impregnated collagen membranes showed promising results in terms of increasing the wKG and recession coverage. A comparison with other standard therapies and agents in subsequent trials may shed more light on the clinical efficacy of this material.