This study was conducted to compare 3D-printed polycaprolactone (PCL) and polycaprolactone/β-tricalcium phosphate (PCL/β-TCP) membranes with a conventional commercial collagen membrane in terms of their abilities to facilitate guided bone regeneration (GBR). Fabricated membranes were tested for dry and wet mechanical properties. Fibroblasts and preosteoblasts were seeded into the membranes and rates and patterns of proliferation were analyzed using a kit-8 assay and by scanning electron microscopy. Osteogenic differentiation was verified by alizarin red S and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining. An in vivo experiment was performed using an alveolar bone defect beagle model, in which defects in three dogs were covered with different membranes. CT and histological analyses at eight weeks after surgery revealed that 3D-printed PCL/β-TCP membranes were more effective than 3D-printed PCL, and substantially better than conventional collagen membranes in terms of biocompatibility and bone regeneration and, thus, at facilitating GBR.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of 3D printed polycaprolactone (PCL)/β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffold containing bone demineralized and decellularized extracellular matrix (bdECM) and human recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) on bone regeneration. Scaffolds were divided into PCL/β-TCP, PCL/β-TCP/bdECM, and PCL/β-TCP/bdECM/BMP groups. In vitro release kinetics of rhBMP-2 were determined with respect to cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. These three reconstructive materials were implanted into 8 mm diameter calvarial bone defect in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were sacrificed four weeks after implantation for micro-CT, histologic, and histomorphometric analyses. The findings obtained were used to calculate new bone volumes (mm3) and new bone areas (%). Excellent cell bioactivity was observed in the PCL/β-TCP/bdECM and PCL/β-TCP/bdECM/BMP groups, and new bone volume and area were significantly higher in the PCL/β-TCP/bdECM/BMP group than in the other groups (p < .05). Within the limitations of this study, bdECM printed PCL/β-TCP scaffolds can reproduce microenvironment for cells and promote adhering and proliferating the cells onto scaffolds. Furthermore, in the rat calvarial defect model, the scaffold which printed rhBMP-2 loaded bdECM stably carries rhBMP-2 and enhances bone regeneration confirming the possibility of bdECM as rhBMP-2 carrier.

In this study, a new concept of a 3D-printed scaffold was introduced for the accurate placement of an implant and the application of a recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2)-loaded bone graft. This preliminary study was conducted using two adult beagles to evaluate the 3D-printed polycaprolactone (PCL)/β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)/bone decellularized extracellular matrix (bdECM) scaffold conjugated with rhBMP-2 for the simultaneous use as an implant surgical guide stent and bone graft material that promotes new bone growth. Teeth were extracted from the mandible of the beagle model and scanned by computed tomography (CT) to fabricate a customized scaffold that would fit the bone defect. After positioning the implant guide scaffold, the implant was placed and rhBMP-2 was injected into the scaffold of the experimental group. The two beagles were sacrificed after three months. The specimen block was obtained and scanned by micro-CT. Histological analysis showed that the control and experimental groups had similar new bone volume (NBV, %) but the experimental group with BMP exhibited a significantly higher bone-to-implant contact ratio (BIC, %). Within the limitations of this preliminary study, a 3D-printed scaffold conjugated with rhBMP-2 can be used simultaneously as an implant surgical guide and a bone graft in a large bone defect site. Further large-scale studies will be needed to confirm these results.

PURPOSEThe aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical findings and patient satisfaction on implant overdenture designed with Locator implant attachment or Locator bar attachment in mandibular edentulous patients.MATERIALS AND METHODSImplant survival rate, marginal bone loss, probing depth, peri-implant inflammation, bleeding, plaque, calculus, complications, and satisfaction were evaluated on sixteen patients who were treated with mandibular overdenture and have used it for at least 1 year (Locator implant attachment: n=8, Locator bar attachment: n=8).RESULTSMarginal bone loss, probing depth, plaque index of the Locator bar attachment group were significantly lower than the Locator implant attachment group (P<.05). There was no significant difference on bleeding, peri-implant inflammation, and patient satisfaction between the two denture types (P>.05). The replacement of the attachment components was the most common complication in both groups. Although there was no correlation between marginal bone loss and plaque index, a significant correlation was found between marginal bone loss and probing depth.CONCLUSIONThe Locator bar attachment group indicates lesser marginal bone loss and need for maintenance, as compared with the Locator implant attachment group. This may be due to the splinting effect among implants rather than the types of Locator attachment.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) coated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as bone graft materials on bone regeneration. The rGO-coated BCP bone graft material was fabricatied by mixing rGO and BCP at various concentrations. The surface charge of rGO-coated BCP was measured to be −14.43 mV, which formed a static electrostatic interaction. Cell viabilities were significantly diminished at higher concentrations of ≥100 μg/mL. The calvarial defects of 48 rats were implanted rGO-coated BCPs at a weight ratio of 2:1000 (rGO2), 4:1000 (rGO4), and 10:1000 (rGO10), repectively. BCP was used as a control group. The micro-CT and histological analysis were performed to evaluate new bone formation at 2 and 8 weeks after surgery. The results showed that the new bone volume (mm3) was significantly higher in the experimental groups than in the control group. Histological analysis showed that new bone areas (%) were significantly higher in the rGO2 and rGO10 than in the control, and significantly higher in rGO4 than in the rGO2 and rGO10. Conclusively, the rGO-coated BCP was found to be effective on osteogenesis and the concentration of the composite was an important factor.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTP) on shear bond strength (SBS) between yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) and self-adhesive resin cement. For this study, surface energy (SE) was calculated with cube-shaped Y-TZP specimens, and SBS was measured on disc-shaped Y-TZP specimens bonded with G-CEM LinkAce or RelyX U200 resin cylinder. The Y-TZP specimens were classified into four groups according to the surface treatment as follows: Control (no surface treatment), NTP, Sb (Sandblasting), and Sb + NTP. The results showed that the SE was significantly higher in the NTP group than in the Control group (p < 0.05). For the SBS test, in non-thermocycling, the NTP group of both self-adhesive resin cements showed significantly higher SBS than the Control group (p < 0.05). However, regardless of the cement type in thermocycling, there was no significant increase in the SBS between the Control and NTP groups. Comparing the two cements, regardless of thermocycling, the NTP group of G-CEM LinkAce showed significantly higher SBS than that of RelyX U200 (p < 0.05). Our study suggests that NTP increases the SE. Furthermore, NTP increases the initial SBS, which is higher when using G-CEM LinkAce than when using RelyX U200.

The appropriate porosity and pore size of barrier membranes were associated with the transportation of biomolecules required for new bone formation and angiogenesis. In this study, we fabricated three-dimensional (3D)-printed resorbable polycaprolactone (PCL) membranes with different porosities (30%, 50%, and 70%) to evaluate the effective pore size for guided bone regeneration (GBR) membranes. To analyze mechanical properties and cytocompatibility, PCL membranes prepared using extrusion-based 3D printing technology were compared in dry and wet conditions and tested in vitro. The proliferation rates and pattern of fibroblasts and preosteoblasts on PCL membranes with different porosities were determined using a cell counting kit-8 assay and scanning electron microscopy. PCL membrane porosity did not affect cell proliferation, but osteogenic differentiation and mechanical properties were increased with lower porosity (30%) on day 14 (p < 0.001). Similar results were found in an in vivo calvarial defect model; new bone formation was significantly higher in PCL membranes with lower porosity (p < 0.001). These results indicate that 3D-printed PCL with 30% porosity (130 μm pore size) is an excellent pore size for GBR membranes.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTP) treatment on the sandblasting of mechanical method and zirconia primer of chemical method used to increase the bond strength between zirconia and resin cement. In this study, Y-TZP was divided into 4 groups according to the surface treatment methods as follows: Zirconia primer (Pr), NTP + Zirconia primer (NTP + Pr), Sandblasting + Zirconia primer (Sb + Pr), Sandblasting + NTP + Zirconia primer (Sb + NTP + Pr). Then, two types of resin cement (G-CEM LinkAce and Rely X-U200) were used to measure the shear bond strength (SBS) and they were divided into non-thermal cycling group and thermal cycling group for aging effect. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test. The result of the surface energy (SE), there was no significant difference among the groups (p > 0.05). As a result of the SBS test, the Sb + Pr group had a significantly higher SBS value than the other groups regardless of the resin cement type (p < 0.05), and the decrease rate after thermal cycling treatment was the lowest. On the other hand, the NTP + Pr group showed significantly lower SBS values than the other groups except for the case of using Rely X-U200 (p < 0.05), and the reduction rate after thermal cycling was the highest. The Sb + NTP + Pr group did not differ significantly from the Pr group (p > 0.05). Within the limitations of two successive studies, treatment with NTP after sandblasting used for mechanical bond strength showed a positive effect on initial SBS. However, when NTP was treated before the zirconia primer used for the chemical bond strength, it showed a negative effect on SBS compared to other treatment methods, which was noticeable after the thermal cycling treatment.