The purpose of this study was to evaluate exophytically vertical bone formation in the mandibular premolar area of beagle dogs by the concept of guided bone regeneration with a titanium reinforced e-PTFE membrane combined with human demineralized freeze-dried bone.

Four one-year old beagle dogs were divided into control and experimental group. All mandibular premolars were extracted and surgical vertical defects of 5 mm in height were created in the extracted sockets. At 8 weeks after the extraction, TR e-PTFE membrane sized with 8 mm in length, 5 mm in width, and 4 mm in height was placed on the decorticated mandible, fixed with metal pins and covered with full-thickness flap and assigned as control group. In experimental group, decorticated mandibule was treated with TR e-PTFE membrane and human demineralized freeze-dried bone. The animals were sacrificed at 16 weeks after the regenerative surgery, and new bone formation was assessed by histomorphometric as well as statistical analysis.

Average of new bone formation was 38% in the control group, whereas was 25% in the experimental group (p<0.05). Average of connective tissue formation was 42% in the experimental group, whereas was 30% in the control group (p<0.05). The lamellar bone formation with haversian canals was observed in the both groups. In the experimental group, the particles of human demineralized freeze-dried bone were observed after 16 weeks and complete resorption of graft was not observed.

On the basis of these findings, we conclude that titanium reinforced e-PTFE membrane may be used alone for vertical guided bone regeneration, but demineralized freeze-dried bone has no additional effect on vertical guided bone regeneration.