Evaluation of the regenerative effect of a 25% doxycycline-loaded biodegradable membrane for guided tissue regeneration

Background: Biodegradable materials have been successfully utilized for guided tissue regeneration (GTR) and local delivery systems (LDS) because they are biocompatible, less cytotoxic, and do not require removal. Several studies have demonstrated that tetracyclines (TCs), when applied topically, stimulated osteogenesis in experimental bone defects. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the regenerative effect of a 25% doxycycline-loaded biodegradable GTR membrane (Doxy-M) in dogs. Methods: Doxy-M was made by coating the inner surface of a biodegradable membrane (BD-M) with 25% doxycycline. Five male mongrel dogs with 20 created osseous defects were enrolled. The plain BD-M was used as the control membrane. Either Doxy-M or BD-M was applied in 20 randomly selected defects (10 Doxy-M, 10 BD-M) for 12 weeks with the GTR technique. The histometric analysis was evaluated with the following parameters: defect height (DH), apical extension of junctional epithelium (AEJP), new cementum height (NCH), new bone height (NBH), and new bone area (NBA). Results: The Doxy-M-treated defects showed more pronounced new bone formation and less crestal bone resorption than the BD-M-treated defects. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in DH, AEJP, and NCH. Statistically significantly larger NBH (P <0.05) and NEA (P <0.005) were seen in the Doxy-M-treated defects. Conclusions: The results strongly suggest that Doxy-M may have a beneficial effect on osteogenesis to favor periodontal regeneration.