Guided bone regeneration utilizing expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membranes in combination with submerged and nonsubmerged dental implants in beagle dogs.

Treatment of partial and total edentulism with submerged and nonsubmerged dental implants which follows the concept of osseointegration has become an accepted treatment modality. With compromised implant sites, practitioners have begun to combine one-stage implants with established techniques including guided bone regeneration. However, the clinical evaluation of this technique is limited. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate osseointegration and bone regeneration around nonsubmerged or submerged implants placed directly into surgically created osseous defects with or without expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes. A total of 24 implants were placed in the mandibles of 4 beagle dogs and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups. In group A, nonsubmerged implants were placed into osseous defects and treated with a poncho style ePTFE membrane. These membranes had a hole punched into the center and were slipped over the nonsubmerged implants. In group B, nonsubmerged implants were placed into osseous defects without an ePTFE membrane. In group C, submerged implants were placed into osseous defects and covered with an ePTFE membrane. Histometric measurements of each treatment group were made to determine percent bone gain or loss along the implant surface. Although a number of membrane removals occurred during the healing period, histological analysis indicated osseous ingrowth and osseointegration around nonsubmerged and submerged implants. An overall comparison of the treatment groups with ANOVA revealed that there were no significant differences between treatment groups, P > or = 0.05. However, when the data were stratified into sites which retained or lost the ePTFE membrane, the percent of bone regeneration was reduced in group A. Therefore, it may be recommended that nonsubmerged implants be placed with a submerged or "semi-submerged" protocol when utilized in conjunction with ePTFE membranes.