Calcium alginate film used for guided bone regeneration in mandible defects in a rabbit model

The objective of this research was to study a new bioabsorbable membrane material, calcium alginate film (CAF), used for guided tissue regeneration (GTR) or guided bone regeneration (GBRL). Circular bone defects of five mm diameter were created in the corners of the mandibles in 45 rabbits. The defects covered with calcium alginate film (CAF) served as the experimental sites, and collagen membrane (CM) or no membrane served as the control sites without considering left or right side, just with a mark on the ear of the same side. The healing condition was analyzed by histological studies and histometry analysis after one, two, four, six, and eight weeks. The histological evaluation showed that the bone regeneration pattern was centripetal in growth from the defect rim. The quantitative histometry analysis showed significantly more and faster newly generated bone in CAF defects than that in CM defects or in empty defects (p<0.01) at two, four, six, and eight weeks postsurgically. Calcium alginate film was more effective for GTR and GBR than the collagen membrane.