A 5-year follow-up of 16 patients treated with coralline calcium carbonate (BIOCORAL) bone replacement grafts in infrabony defects.

A resorbable coralline calcium carbonate graft material (BIOCORAL) (CalCarb) was evaluated as a bone replacement graft in human periodontal osseous defects. Following initial preparation and re-evaluation, flap surgery was carried out. Bone defects were curetted and root surfaces subjected to mechanical debridement and conditioning with tetracycline paste. The bone defects were grafted with CalCarb, and the host flaps replaced or slightly coronally positioned. Weekly, then monthly deplaquing was performed until surgical reentry at 6-12 months. Patients were then followed on approximate 3 month recalls for > or =5 years. Significant clinical changes included improvement in mean vertical clinical probing attachment level from 5.7 mm at surgery to 4.2 mm at re-entry to 4.0 mm at 5 years, decrease in mean probing pocket depth from 6.1 mm at surgery to 3.0 mm at re-entry to 3.3 mm at 5 years, and mean gingival recession from +0.4 mm at surgery to 1.0 mm at re-entry to 0.7 mm at 5 years (all at least p<0.05 from surgery to re-entry and surgery to 5 years, N.S. from reentry to 5 years via ANOVA). These favorable long-term results with CalCarb suggest that CalCarb may have a beneficial effect in the long-term clinical management of infrabony defects.