Clinical evaluation of coralline calcium carbonate as a bone replacement graft material in human periodontal osseous defects.

A resorbable coralline calcium carbonate graft material (CalCarb) was compared to open flap debridement (DEBR) in human periodontal osseous defects. Following appropriate initial preparation procedures, flap surgery with defect and root debridement was performed in 20 patients. Alternating defects in each segment of surgery were treated with each procedure. Appropriate periodontal maintenance schedules were followed, and at 6 to 12 months a re-entry flap surgery was performed for documentation and finalization of treatment. Forty defects which received CalCarb grafts demonstrated significantly better mean defect fill of 2.3 mm (67.7%) versus a mean defect fill of 0.7 mm (25.9%) (P < 0.01) for 39 defects treated with DEBR. Other hard tissue findings showed similar clinically superior results with the use of CalCarb. Relative defect fill results showed 88% positive (50% to 100% defect fill) responses with CalCarb and only 13% positive responses with DEBR. There were 7 times more failures (minimal response) with DEBR than with CalCarb. Soft tissue findings showed no significant differences between treatments. These results are similar to those with other synthetic and natural bone replacement graft materials. However, the ease of handling of the CalCarb material, its resorbability, and its potential for improved bone regeneration may be of clinical advantage.

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes