PurposeThe aim of this study was to elucidate the effect of a bovine hydroxyapatite/collagen (BHC) block in one-wall intrabony periodontal defects in dogs.MethodsA one-wall intrabony periodontal defect (4 mm wide and 5 mm deep) was prepared bilaterally at the mesial side of the mandibular fourth premolar in five beagle dogs. After thorough root planing, block-type BHC (4×5×5 mm) was placed on one side. The contralateral defect area did not receive any material as a sham-surgery control. Histological analysis of the sites was performed after an 8-week healing period.ResultsTwo of five samples in the experimental group healed well without dissipation of the graft materials, and histological analysis revealed excellent regeneration of the periodontal tissues. However, most of the grafted materials had been displaced in the other three samples, leaving only a small portion of the graft. The measured parameters exhibited large standard deviations, and the mean values did not differ significantly between the experimental and sham-surgery control sides.ConclusionsThe application of BHC alone-without a barrier membrane-to wide, one-wall intrabony periodontal defects yielded inconsistent results regarding both periodontal regeneration and substantivity of the graft materials. Thus, the use of a barrier membrane for noncontained-type defects is recommended to improve the stability of the grafted material, and to condense it.

PurposeThis study evaluated histologically the tissue responses to and the effects of a customized nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) block bone graft on periodontal regeneration in a one-wall periodontal-defect model.MethodsA customized block bone for filling in the standardized periodontal defect was fabricated from prefabricated n-HA powders and a polymeric sponge. Bilateral 4×4×5 mm (buccolingual width×mesiodistal width×depth), one-wall, critical-size intrabony periodontal defects were surgically created at the mandibular second and fourth premolars of five Beagle dogs. In each dog, one defect was filled with block-type HA and the other served as a sham-surgery control. The animals were sacrificed following an 8-week healing interval for clinical and histological evaluations.ResultsAlthough the sites that received an n-HA block showed minimal bone formation, the n-HA block was maintained within the defect with its original hexahedral shape. In addition, only a limited inflammatory reaction was observed at sites that received an n-HA block, which might have been due to the high stability of the customized block bone.ConclusionsIn the limitation of this study, customized n-HA block could provide a space for periodontal tissue engineering, with minimal inflammation.