Effects of chitosan nonwoven membrane on periodontal healing of surgically created one-wall intrabony defects in beagle dogs.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the periodontal regenerative effects of a chitosan nonwoven membrane applied to surgically created preclinical one-wall intrabony defects in beagle dogs. One-wall intrabony defects (4 x 4 x 4 mm) were surgically created bilaterally in the mandibular second and fourth premolars of six beagle dogs. The surgical control group received a flap operation only. The resorbable-membrane (RM) group was treated with resorbable membrane. The chitosan-nonwoven-membrane (CNWM) group was treated with chitosan nonwoven membrane. The amount of junctional epithelium migration and the amount of connective tissue adhesion did not show any statistically significant differences among the groups. However, the amount of suprabony cementum regeneration, intrabony cementum regeneration, and alveolar bone regeneration showed significant differences (p < 0.05) between CNWM site group and control group. The results demonstrate the regenerative effects of the chitosan nonwoven membrane in one-wall intrabony defects of beagle dogs. The chitosan nonwoven membrane has the potential to support the cementum and bone regeneration, possibly by providing the conditions needed for guided tissue regeneration in the one-wall intrabony periodontal defects of beagle dogs. Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.