The objective of this study is to evaluate the osteoconductivity and bioactivity of the Bonelike Õ graft in repairing surgical cystic bone defects. Bonelike Õ is implanted in 11 patients, aged between 24 and 53 years with a mean age of 36 years, consisting of 5 men and 6 women. According to the standard follow up protocols, radiological examinations are performed and Bonelike Õ /bone retrieved samples have been analyzed histologically using nondecalcified sections obtained perpendicular to bone length axis. Radiographic examination and histological results clearly demonstrate an extensive new bone formation apposed on Bonelike Õ granules with a significant degree of maturation. These clinical applications in maxillary bone defects indicate perfect bone bonding between new bone formed and Bonelike Õ granules, along with partial surface biodegradation. This quick and effective osteoconductive response from Bonelike Õ may reduce the time needed to reconstruct the bone defected area of patients.

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BonelikeÒ graft that mimics the inorganic composition of bone tissue has been developed and characterized over the last decade. To evaluate the osteoconductivity of BonelikeÒ two granule size ranges, one ranging from 150-250µm and the other from 250-500µm were implanted in the femurs of New Zealand White rabbits, aiming at being clinically used in different medical applications, such as dentistry and orthopaedics. In order to facilitate the medical application of the BonelikeÒ graft the use of a commercially available polymeric vehicle was also analyzed. Radiological examination, histological studies and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses revealed that the surface of Bonelike® granules was almost completely surrounded by new bone formation after 12 weeks of implantation, which proves its highly osteoconductive behaviour.

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Membranes design for guided tissue engineering have been studied to aid in cell viability and function as tissue barriers. Two asymmetric resorbable membranes for guided bone regeneration (GBR) were produced: chitosan/pectin/poly-caprolactone (PECm) and poly(vinyl alcohol)/polyethylenimine/poly(ethylene glycol) (PVAm). Both membranes were characterized by physical, chemical, mechanical, degradation rate, and in vitro biological assessment. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the membranes asymmetry, in which PECm asymmetry is given by roughness and chemical composition, while PVAm's only by differences in porosity. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) identified chemical groups and bonds between polymers. Both sides of PVAm revealed to be hydrophobic, whereas the PECm presented one side with higher hydrophobicity than the other. In vitro biological assessment disclosed that PECm presented a higher cell adhesion growth pattern than PVAm, where it seemed to occur a delay in proliferation due to initial low cell adhesion. Both developed membranes are suitable for GBR, since both membranes fulfil the requirements to be used as a tissue barrier. The PECm has an additional role in cell viability that was not observed in the PVAm. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 2141-2150, 2018.

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Introduction: One of the main goals of periodontal treatment is the regeneration of lost tissues, in order to improve the prognosis of the involved teeth [1][2][3]. Guided tissue regeneration (GTR) involves the use of a barrier with or without the use of bone substitutes [4]. Given the great diversity and constant evolution of materials, it is necessary to maintain a permanent evaluation of their clinical effectiveness. This study intends to evaluate the success and predictability of GTR using a new membrane and bone substitute of equine origin (HeartV R and Mix Granules V R -Bioteck SpA, Turin, Italy), in the treatment of infra-bony defects with two or three walls [5]. Materials and methods: This study was approved by Egas Moniz Ethics Committee and all patients signed an informed consent form. Patients were selected among those referred to the Department of Periodontology/EMDC, with indication for surgical periodontal treatment, presence of 2-3-wall infra-bony defects, probing depth (PD) ! 5 mm, infra-bony component !4 mm deep (evaluated radiographically) and attached gingiva !2 mm. Exclusion criteria were: cases with PIaque Index (PI) >20%, smokers, extension of the defect to the furcation zone, mobility grade III, endodontic pathology, diabetes or other pathologies that interfere with bone remodelling and metabolism or contraindicate periodontal surgery. All surgeries were performed by the same operator. The clinicians involved in the evaluation of the results had no intervention in surgery. The following clinical and radiographic parameters were evaluated at one, three and six months after surgery: PI, Gingival Index (GI), Probing pocket depth (PPD), Bleeding on Probing (BoP); Gingival recession (GR), height of keratinised gingiva (KG) and radiographic angle of the defect (RAD). In addition, the presence of possible intra-surgical or post-operative complications was also evaluated. The assessment of the defect depth reduction was based on standardised periapical radiographs obtained through the use of an individualised device (parallelizer). Results: A total of six participants (83% females, 17% males), with a mean age of 61.6 (± 8.1) years, were enrolled in the study. The number of defect walls was: 3 walls (50%), 2 walls (33.3%) and 2/3 walls (16.7%). After six months, an average clinical attachment level gain of 3.3 (± 1.4) mm, mean radiographic bone filling of 72 (± 29%) and a BoP reduction of 66.6% were observed. RAD average was 21.3 (± 1.2 ) and GR changed from 2.2 to 2.7 mm. Membrane exposure was observed in 33.3% of the cases, however, there were no cases of infection or severe pain. Discussion and conclusions: The use of collagen membranes and corticocancellous bone grafts of equine origin seems to be a viable alternative in the regeneration of infra-bony periodontal defects.