Healing of two-wall intra-bony defects treated with a novel EMD-liquid-A pre-clinical study in monkeys

Aim To investigate the effect of a novel enamel matrix derivative formulation (EMD-liquid or Osteogain) combined with an absorbable collagen sponge (ACS) on periodontal wound healing in intrabony defects in monkeys. Materials and Methods Chronic 2-wall intrabony defects were created at the distal aspect of 8 teeth in 3 monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). The 24 defects were randomly assigned to one of the following treatments: (1) Open flap debridement (OFD) + ACS alone, (2) OFD + Emdogain + ACS (Emdogain/ACS), (3) OFD + Osteogain + ACS (Osteogain/ACS), or (4) OFD alone. At 4 months the animals were euthanized for histologic evaluation. Results Osteogain/ACS resulted in more consistent formation of cementum, periodontal ligament and bone with limited epithelial proliferation compared to OFD alone, Emdogain/ACS, and OFD + ACS. Among the 4 treatment groups, the Osteogain/ACS group demonstrated the highest amount of regenerated tissues. However, complete periodontal regeneration was not observed in any of the defects in the 4 groups. Conclusions The present findings indicate that in 2-wall intrabony defects, reconstructive surgery with Osteogain/ACS appears to be a promising novel approach for facilitating periodontal wound healing/regeneration, thus warranting further clinical testing. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.