Clinical and radiographic study of the use of cross-linked gelfoam matrix in the treatment of dehiscence-like defects in Stage III periodontitis.

Background: This clinical study aimed to overcome the difficulty of graft fixation and limited blood supply for dehiscence defects regeneration by using a cross-linked gelfoam matrix jointly with collagen membrane and xenograft.

Materials and methods: The study included twenty dehiscence-like defects in maxillary anterior teeth with ≥4 mm facial bone loss and ≥5 mm clinical attachment loss (CAL) in patients suffering from Stage III periodontitis. Sites were treated with regenerative surgery using a cross-linked gelfoam matrix with glutaraldehyde, xenograft, and collagen membrane. The recorded parameters were: CAL, probing pocket depth (PPD), and radiographic three-dimensional (3D) volume for dehiscence-like defects (3D volume of facial bone defects) and 3D volume of interproximal defects using cone-beam radiographs. Data of these parameters were collected at both baseline and 6 months postsurgery. "Paired t-test" was used to assess the two variables."

Results: Both CAL and PPD showed statistically significant reductions and there was a significant bone gain at 6 months postsurgery in comparison to baseline (P ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion: Using a cross-linked gelfoam matrix with glutaraldehyde in combination with xenograft and collagen membrane could enhance the outcome of periodontal regeneration, especially in the treatment of challenging dehiscence defects.