Human fascia lata in rat calvarial bone defects.

Background: Tooth loss leads to a decrease in alveolar bone volume, and consequently to the need for guided bone regeneration (GBR) techniques to restore bone anatomy, and the adequate choice of therapy. Fascia lata membrane (FLM) has been used in surgical procedures in neurology, orthopedics, otorhinolaryngology, cardiology, vascular surgery, gynecology, and dentistry for guided tissue regeneration and Piezosurgery has become a method of choice for cutting bone in a number of GBR procedures. Aim/Hypothesis: The aim of the present study was to perform a qualitative evaluation of bone tissue response in rat calvarial bone defects made using a piezoelectric device and treated with guided bone regeneration with and without placement of FLM, using histological studies. Material and Methods: Eight Wistar rats, 230 g body weight, were subjected to bone surgery to create a 5 × 5 mm long 1 mm deep calvarial bone defect on either side of the median suture, using a piezoelectric scalpel and irrigation. The animals were treated according to the following protocol‐ Group I (GI)‐ placement of a single layer of FLM (Biotar, Rosario, Prov. de Santa Fe, Argentina) to cover the defects, Group II (GII)‐ double layer of FLM to cover the defects, Group III‐ no membrane, Group IV‐ control. All the animals were euthanized 60 days post‐surgery, the heads were resected, radiographed, decalcified, and processed for embedding in paraffin and Hematoxylin‐Eosin and Masson's trichrome staining. Results: None of the bone defects covered with a single (G I) or double (G II) layer of FLM showed an inflammatory response or macrophages, and all exhibited adequate osteogenesis with lamellar bone formation. It is of note that no alterations were observed in the osteocyte lacunae containing osteocytes or in the surgical bed, where the bone defect was created by osteotomy using a piezoelectric scalpel. No alterations and scant osteogenesis were observed in G III and G IV. The fascia lata membranes showed no evidence of alterations in their structure, which consisted mainly of a collagen matrix. No sign of inflammation and no macrophages or giant multinucleated cells were observed at the periphery of the membranes. Conclusions and Clinical Implications: Tissue response to FLM observed 60 days post‐surgery using the experimental model presented here, provides further evidence of the biocompatibility of human fascia lata, as well as of its enhancing effect on osteogenesis during the repair process of experimentally created bone defects. These results show the use of FLM as a successful treatment choice in GBR. Further studies need to be conducted to assess bone tissue response to FLM in combination with bone substitutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]