The successful clinical closure of Class II furcations was achievable at 1 year following combination therapy with an ePTFE membrane and DFDBA. The highest frequency of clinical furcation closure was observed in early Class II defects. Furcations with vertical or horizontal bone loss of 5 mm or greater responded with the lowest frequency of complete clinical closure. Nevertheless, complete furcation closure was achievable in 50% of molars with extensive bone loss. Also, 15 out of 22 (68%) of all residual defects were reduced to Class I and only seven (8%) failed to improve, demonstrating that successful clinical resolution of advanced defects remains an attainable goal.

No abstract

Background: Treatment of furcation defects is a core component of periodontal therapy. The goal of this consensus report is to critically appraise the evidence and to subsequently present interpretive conclusions regarding the effectiveness of regenerative therapy for the treatment of furcation defects and recommendations for future research in this area. Methods: A systematic review was conducted before the consensus meeting. This review aims to evaluate and present the available evidence regarding the effectiveness of different regenerative approaches for the treatment of furcation defects in specific clinical scenarios compared with conventional surgical therapy. During the meeting, the outcomes of the systematic review, as well as other pertinent sources of evidence, were discussed by a committee of nine members. The consensus group members submitted additional material for consideration by the group in advance and at the time of the meeting. The group agreed on a comprehensive summary of the evidence and also formulated recommendations for the treatment of furcation defects via regenerative therapies and the conduction of future studies. Results: Histologic proof of periodontal regeneration after the application of a combined regenerative therapy for the treatment of maxillary facial, mesial, distal, and mandibular facial or lingual Class II furcation defects has been demonstrated in several studies. Evidence of histologic periodontal regeneration in mandibular Class III defects is limited to one case report. Favorable outcomes after regenerative therapy for maxillary Class III furcation defects are limited to clinical case reports. In Class I furcation defects, regenerative therapy may be beneficial in certain clinical scenarios, although generally Class I furcation defects may be treated predictably with non‐regenerative therapies. There is a paucity of data regarding quantifiable patient‐reported outcomes after surgical treatment of furcation defects. Conclusions: Based on the available evidence, it was concluded that regenerative therapy is a viable option to achieve predictable outcomes for the treatment of furcation defects in certain clinical scenarios. Future research should test the efficacy of novel regenerative approaches that have the potential to enhance the effectiveness of therapy in clinical scenarios associated historically with less predictable outcomes. Additionally, future studies should place emphasis on histologic demonstration of periodontal regeneration in humans and also include validated patient‐reported outcomes. Clinical Recommendations: Based on the prevailing evidence, the following clinical recommendations could be offered. 1) Periodontal regeneration has been established as a viable therapeutic option for the treatment of various furcation defects, among which Class II defects represent a highly predictable scenario. Hence, regenerative periodontal therapy should be considered before resective therapy or extraction; 2) The application of a combined therapeutic approach (i.e., ...

This retrospective study based on histologic evaluations of 100 human block sections and extracted teeth taken from sites treated via bone and marrow autograft, allograft and nongraft regenerative procedures revealed the following findings: 1. Graft procedures yielded new cementum formation in 66 of 79 sites evaluated while nongraft approaches yielded new cementum formation in only 7 of 21 sites. Two of the grafted sites not yielding new cementum were only 14 days duration. 2. Block section evaluation revealed new bone formation in 33 of 39 graft sites and in 7 of 21 nongraft sites. 3. When regeneration did occur, as seen in the block sections, the nature of the new attachment was similar in all graft approaches and was comparable to healthy functioning periodontium. 4. The potential for regeneration of a functional attachment apparatus including new cementum, bone and functionally oriented periodontal ligament has been demonstrated in autograft and allograft approaches. 5. Adverse immune response to bone and marrow allografts could not be detected at a clinical, histologic or chemical level. 6. No ankylosis or root resorption was noted with fresh intra-oral donor material and with frozen iliac autografts or allografts. Root resorption was noted in two cases treated with nongraft methods and in 16 of 275 sites treated with fresh iliac autograft material.

No abstract