Bone formation inside the material interstices of e-PTFE membranes: a light microscopical and histochemical study in man.

Membranes used in guided bone regeneration (GBR) should possibly achieve a good degree of tissue integration with neighbouring connective tissues in order to obtain a mechanically stable environment necessary for successful bone and soft tissue healing. The authors observed, in a histological study of e-PTFE membranes used for GBR and retrieved from 10 patients, inside the material interstices of the membranes, in many cases the presence of connective tissue cells and collagen fibres, and in two cases the presence of bone. The presence, inside the membrane, of connective tissue and bone could help toward a tight integration between the membrane and neighbouring tissues, with the production of a biological seal.