Connective tissue grafts in conjunction with implants installed immediately into extraction sockets. An experimental study in dogs

Aim: To evaluate the influence of a sub-epithelial connective tissue graft placed at the buccal aspect of implants installed immediately after tooth extraction on the dimensional changes of hard and soft tissues. Materials and Methods: In six Labrador dogs a bilateral partial- thickness dissection was made buccal to the second mandibular premolar. At the lingual aspect, full-thickness flaps were elevated. The teeth were extracted and implants installed immediately into the distal socket. A connective tissue graft was obtained from the palate and applied to the buccal aspect of the test sites, whereas contra-laterally, no graft was applied. The flaps were sutured to allow a non-submerged installation. After 4 months of healing, the animals were sacrificed, ground sections were obtained and histomorphometric analyses were performed. Results: After 4 months of healing, all implants were integrated (n = 6). Both at the test and at the control sites bone resorption occurred: 1.6 mm and 2.1 mm, respectively. The difference was not statistically significant. The coronal aspect of the peri-implant soft tissue was wider and located more coronally at the test compared with the control sites. The differences were statistically significant. Conclusions: The application of a connective tissue graft placed at the buccal aspect of the bony wall at implants installed immediately after tooth extraction yielded a minimal preservation of the hard tissues. The peri-implant mucosa, however, was significantly thicker and more coronally positioned at the test compared with the control sites. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Patient-centered outcomes after subepithelial connective tissue grafts and coronally advanced flaps

The use of a coronally advanced flap (CAF) and connective tissue graft (CTG) is a well-established procedure to cover single and multiple recessions and improve soft tissue esthetics. However, until now, there are still limited data evaluating patient morbidity, the fear of imminent tooth loss, and modification of sensitivity in surgical areas. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the patient-centered outcomes associated with CAF + CTG.

Lymphocytes selected in allogeneic thymic epithelium mediate dominant tolerance toward tissue grafts of the thymic epithelium haplotype.

Athymic mice grafted at birth with allogeneic thymic epithelium (TE) from day 10 embryos before hematopoietic cell colonization reconstitute normal numbers of T cells and exhibit full life-long tolerance to skin grafts of the TE haplotype. Intravenous transfers of splenic cells, from these animals to adult syngeneic athymic recipients, reconstitute T-cell compartments and the ability to reject third-party skin grafts. The transfer of specific tolerance to skin grafts of the TE donor strain, however, is not observed in all reconstituted recipients, and the fraction of nontolerant recipients increases with decreasing numbers of cells transferred. Furthermore, transfers of high numbers of total or CD4+ T cells from TE chimeras to T-cell receptor-anti-H-Y antigen transgenic immunocompetent syngeneic hosts specifically hinder the rejection of skin grafts of the TE haplotype that normally occurs in such recipients. These observations demonstrate (i) that mice tolerized by allogeneic TE and bearing healthy skin grafts harbor peripheral immunocompetent T cells capable of rejecting this very same graft; and (ii) that TE selects for regulatory T cells that can inhibit effector activities of graft-reactive cells.

An alternative technique to the harvesting of a connective tissue graft from a thin palate: Enhanced wound healing

This article describes an alternative surgical approach to the harvesting of subepithelial connective tissue grafts from thin palates. A partial-thickness flap is raised, and a graft composed of epithelium and connective tissue is removed from the palate. The superficial layer ( epithelium and a thin zone of connective tissue) is then dissected from the graft and replaced at the donor site to facilitate faster healing. The subjacent layer of connective tissue is placed as needed to obtain root coverage. The clinical application of this technique is described in two patients with multiple gingival recessions.

Connective tissue graft to correct peri-implant soft tissue margin: A clinical report

This clinical report describes the use of a subepithelial connective tissue graft to recontour a soft tissue margin discrepancy for a single-implant crown in the anterior maxilla. This procedure demonstrates that the use of soft tissue grafts to correct an esthetic deficiency may be a feasible approach to establish new and stable peri-implant soft tissue contours. The patient presented was followed for 18 months.

A systematic review assessing soft tissue augmentation techniques

AIM: The aim of the present review was to systematically assess the dental literature in terms of soft tissue grafting techniques. The focused question was: is one method superior over others for augmentation and stability of the augmented soft tissue in terms of increasing the width of keratinized tissue (part 1) and gain in soft tissue volume (part 2). METHODS: A Medline search was performed for human studies focusing on augmentation of keratinized tissue and/or soft tissue volume, and complemented by additional hand searching. Relevant studies were identified and statistical results were reported for meta-analyses including the test minus control weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals, the I-squared statistic for tests of heterogeneity, and the number of significant studies. RESULTS: Twenty-five (part 1) and three (part 2) studies met the inclusion criteria; 14 studies (part 1) were eligible for comparison using meta-analyses. An apically positioned flap/vestibuloplasty (APF/V) procedure resulted in a statistically significantly greater gain in keratinized tissue than untreated controls. APF/V plus autogenous tissue revealed statistically significantly more attached gingiva compared with untreated controls and a borderline statistical significance compared with APF/V plus allogenic tissue. Statistically significantly more shrinkage was observed for the APF/V plus allogenic graft compared with the APF/V plus autogenous tissue. Patient-centered outcomes did not reveal any of the treatment methods to be superior regarding postoperative complications. The three studies reporting on soft tissue volume augmentation could not be compared due to lack of homogeneity. The use of subepithelial connective tissue grafts (SCTGs) resulted in statistically significantly more soft tissue volume gain compared with free gingival grafts (FGGs). CONCLUSIONS: APF/V is a successful treatment concept to increase the width of keratinized tissue or attached gingiva around teeth. The addition of autogenous tissue statistically significantly increases the width of attached gingiva. For soft tissue volume augmentation, only limited data are available favoring SCTGs over FGG.

Treatment of multiple adjacent Miller class I and II gingival recessions with a Modified Coronally Advanced Tunnel (MCAT) technique and a collagen matrix or palatal connective tissue graft: a randomized, controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND A newly developed collagen matrix (CM) of porcine origin has been shown to represent a potential alternative to palatal connective tissue grafts (CTG) for the treatment of single Miller Class I and II gingival recessions when used in conjunction with a coronally advanced flap (CAF). However, at present it remains unknown to what extent CM may represent a valuable alternative to CTG in the treatment of Miller Class I and II multiple adjacent gingival recessions (MAGR). The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes following treatment of Miller Class I and II MAGR using the modified coronally advanced tunnel technique (MCAT) in conjunction with either CM or CTG. METHODS Twenty-two patients with a total of 156 Miller Class I and II gingival recessions were included in this study. Recessions were randomly treated according to a split-mouth design by means of MCAT + CM (test) or MCAT + CTG (control). The following measurements were recorded at baseline (i.e. prior to surgery) and at 12 months: Gingival Recession Depth (GRD), Probing Pocket Depth (PD), Clinical Attachment Level (CAL), Keratinized Tissue Width (KTW), Gingival Recession Width (GRW) and Gingival Thickness (GT). GT was measured 3-mm apical to the gingival margin. Patient acceptance was recorded using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The primary outcome variable was Complete Root Coverage (CRC), secondary outcomes were Mean Root Coverage (MRC), change in KTW, GT, patient acceptance and duration of surgery. RESULTS Healing was uneventful in both groups. No adverse reactions at any of the sites were observed. At 12 months, both treatments resulted in statistically significant improvements of CRC, MRC, KTW and GT compared with baseline (p < 0.05). CRC was found at 42% of test sites and at 85% of control sites respectively (p < 0.05). MRC measured 71 ± 21% mm at test sites versus 90 ± 18% mm at control sites (p < 0.05). Mean KTW measured 2.4 ± 0.7 mm at test sites versus 2.7 ± 0.8 mm at control sites (p > 0.05). At test sites, GT values changed from 0.8 ± 0.2 to 1.0 ± 0.3 mm, and at control sites from 0.8 ± 0.3 to 1.3 ± 0.4 mm (p < 0.05). Duration of surgery and patient morbidity was statistically significantly lower in the test compared with the control group respectively (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The present findings indicate that the use of CM may represent an alternative to CTG by reducing surgical time and patient morbidity, but yielded lower CRC than CTG in the treatment of Miller Class I and II MAGR when used in conjunction with MCAT.

New Source of Muscle-Derived Stem Cells with Potential for Alveolar Bone Reconstruction in Cleft Lip and/or Palate Patients

Cleft lip and palate (CLP), one of the most frequent congenital malformations, affects the alveolar bone in the great majority of the cases, and the reconstruction of this defect still represents a challenge in the rehabilitation of these patients. One of the current most promising strategy to achieve this goal is the use of bone marrow stem cells (BMSC); however, isolation of BMSC or iliac bone, which is still the mostly used graft in the surgical repair of these patients, confers site morbidity to the donor. Therefore, in order to identify a new alternative source of stem cells with osteogenic potential without conferring morbidity to the donor, we have used orbicular oris muscle (OOM) fragments, which are regularly discarded during surgery repair (cheiloplasty) of CLP patients. We obtained cells from OOM fragments of four unrelated CLP patients (CLPMDSC) using previously described preplating technique. These cells, through flow cytometry analysis, were mainly positively marked for five mesenchymal stem cell antigens (CD29, CD90, CD105, SH3, and SH4), while negative for hematopoietic cell markers, CD14, CD34, CD45, and CD117, and for endothelial cell marker, CD31. After induction under appropriate cell culture conditions, these cells were capable to undergo chondrogenic, adipogenic, osteogenic, and skeletal muscle cell differentiation, as evidenced by immunohistochemistry. We also demonstrated that these cells together with a collagen membrane lead to bone tissue reconstruction in a critical-size cranial defects previously induced in non-immunocompromised rats. The presence of human DNA in the new bone was confirmed by PCR with human-specific primers and immunohistochemistry with human nuclei antibodies. In conclusion, we showed that cells from OOM have phenotypic and behavior characteristics similar to other adult stem cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggest that these cells represent a promising source of stem cells for alveolar bone grafting treatment, particularly in young CLP patients.

The temporoparietal fascia flap: a versatile tool in head and neck reconstruction.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The article reviews recent significant advances and current applications of the temporoparietal fascia flap (TPFF) in head and neck surgery. RECENT FINDINGS: The recent literature describes a wide span of new applications of the TPFF in many areas. Significant developments and refinements in the reconstruction of orbitomaxillary composite defects and orbital exenteration cavities are reported. The TPFF combined with alloplastic framework is gaining in importance in external ear reconstruction. Innovative prefabricated skin or soft-tissue grafts based on the TPFF are used to restore facial contour or in the reconstruction of complex facial defects. The free TPFF finds a role in laryngotracheal reconstruction as a vascular carrier to support cartilage grafts. SUMMARY: Owing to its reliability and unequalled structural properties, the TPFF still plays a central role in facial reconstruction. Future investigation will likely incorporate the free TPFF as a vascular carrier of bioengineered tissues, such as cartilage and mucosa, for various head and neck indications.

Preliminary study of coconut water for graft tissues preservation in transplantation

OBJECTIVE: to verify the effectiveness of coconut water in preserving tissues for transplant. METHODS: Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly distributed in five groups, according to the following preservation solutions for tissue grafts: Group 1: Lactated Ringer; Group 2: Belzer solution; Group 3: mature coconut water; Group 4: green coconut water; Group 5: modified coconut water. In Group 5, the green coconut water has been modified like the Belzer solution. From each animal we harvasted the spleen, ovaries and skin of the back segment. These tissues were preserved for six hours in one of the solutions. Then, the grafts were reimplanted. The recovery of the function of the implanted tissues was assessed 90 days after surgery, by splenic scintigraphy and blood exame. The implanted tissues were collected for histopathological examination. RESULTS: The serum levels did not differ among groups, except for the animals in Group 5, which showed higher levels of IgG than Group 1, and differences in relation to FSH between groups 1 and 2 (p <0.001), 4 and 2 (p = 0.03) and 5 and 2 (p = 0.01). The splenic scintigraphy was not different between groups. The ovarian tissue was better preserved in mature coconut water (p <0.007). CONCLUSION: the coconut water-based solutions preserves spleen, ovary, and rat skin for six hours, maintaining their normal function.

Importância do tratamento estético periodontal na reabilitação protética

Gingival recession is a common deformity that affects a large number of people. This condition is frequently associated with esthetic complains and may lead to dental hypersensitivity. Thus, various surgical procedures have been proposed to provide root coverage. Since the 1950s, free and pedicle gingival grafts have been greatly used for treating gingival recession. However, after the 1985 Miller gingival recession classification, and with the development of other appropriated techniques that use subepithelial connective tissue grafts, gingival recession treatments have resulted in more predictable outcomes, especially with respect to Class I and II sites, i.e., in the absence of interproximal bone loss. This article reported the importance of aesthetical periodontal treatment in the prosthetic rehabilitation of a patient with a class I gingival recession with 3 mm of vertical extension in the superior canine. The treatment plan consisted of root coverage using subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) associated with construction of new prosthesis.

Associação de prótese fixa, implantes e estética periodontal para reabilitação de pacientes parcialmente edêntulos

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that results in the destruction of teeth and their supporting tissues with subsequent tooth loss. The replacement of missing teeth for implant-supported restorations has proven to be a highly predictable treatment method with good long-term prognosis. However, some consequences of tooth loss prevents dental implant placement in an ideal position, where regenerative procedures are necessary for this type of rehabilitation. Less invasive procedures such as conventional prosthesis emerge as a therapeutic option in cases where there is enough bone structure for implants and patient´s non-acceptance for invasive procedures. Thus, this paper aims to present the resolution of rehabilitation through a noninvasive and multidisciplinary treatment. One female patient referred to the clinic presented maladaptive bilateral mandibular fixed prostheses, endodontic lesions, gingival recession, and root sensitivity. For proper resolution of this case, an association among osseointegrated implants, fixed partial prosthesis, tooth extraction, and aesthetic periodontal procedures with the use of subepithelial connective tissue graft was proposed. After two years, the patient shows excellent aesthetics and chewing. Within the limits of this scenario, this paper discusses the various factors that may affect the choice of a particular treatment modality for the rehabilitation of edentulous single spaces.

Importância do tratamento estético periodontal na reabilitação protética

Gingival recession is a common deformity that affects a large number of people. This condition is frequently associated with esthetic complains and may lead to dental hypersensitivity. Thus, various surgical procedures have been proposed to provide root coverage. Since the 1950s, free and pedicle gingival grafts have been greatly used for treating gingival recession. However, after the 1985 Miller gingival recession classification, and with the development of other appropriated techniques that use subepithelial connective tissue grafts, gingival recession treatments have resulted in more predictable outcomes, especially with respect to Class I and II sites, i.e., in the absence of interproximal bone loss. This article reported the importance of aesthetical periodontal treatment in the prosthetic rehabilitation of a patient with a class I gingival recession with 3 mm of vertical extension in the superior canine. The treatment plan consisted of root coverage using subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) associated with construction of new prosthesis.

Reconstruction of the Alveolar Buccal Bone Plate in Compromised Fresh Socket after Immediate Implant Placement Followed by Immediate Provisionalization

ObjectiveThe aim of this clinical report was to reestablish the buccal bone wall after immediate implant placement. The socket defect was corrected with autogenous bone, and a connective tissue graft was removed from the maxillary tuberosity to increase the thickness, height, and width of the buccal bone and gingival tissue followed by immediate provisionalization of the crown during the same operation.Clinical ConsiderationsA 66-year-old patient presented with a hopeless maxillary left central incisor with loss of the buccal bone wall. Atraumatic, flapless extraction was performed, and an immediate implant was placed in the extraction socket followed by preparation of an immediate provisional restoration. Subsequently, immediate reconstruction of the buccal bone plate was performed, using the tuberosity as the donor site, to obtain block bone and connective tissue grafts, as well as particulate bone. Finally, immediate provisionalization of the crown followed by simple sutures was performed. Cone-beam computed tomography and periapical radiographs were taken before and after surgery. After 4 months, the final prosthetic crown was made. After a 2-year follow-up, a satisfactory aesthetic result was achieved with lower treatment time and morbidity.ConclusionThis case demonstrates the effective use of immediate reconstruction of the buccal bone wall for the treatment of a hopeless tooth in the maxillary aesthetic area. This procedure efficiently promoted harmonious gingival and bone architecture, recovered lost anatomical structures with sufficient width and thickness, and maintained the stability of the alveolar bone crest in a single procedure.Clinical SignificanceIf appropriate clinical conditions exist, immediate dentoalveolar restoration may be the most conservative means of reconstructing the buccal bone wall after immediate implant placement followed by immediate provisionalization with predictable healing and lower treatment time.

Treatment of multiple adjacent Miller Class I and II gingival recessions with collagen matrix and the modified coronally advanced tunnel technique

OBJECTIVE To clinically evaluate the treatment of Miller Class I and II multiple adjacent gingival recessions using the modified coronally advanced tunnel technique combined with a newly developed bioresorbable collagen matrix of porcine origin. METHOD AND MATERIALS Eight healthy patients exhibiting at least three multiple Miller Class I and II multiple adjacent gingival recessions (a total of 42 recessions) were consecutively treated by means of the modified coronally advanced tunnel technique and collagen matrix. The following clinical parameters were assessed at baseline and 12 months postoperatively: full mouth plaque score (FMPS), full mouth bleeding score (FMBS), probing depth (PD), recession depth (RD), recession width (RW), keratinized tissue thickness (KTT), and keratinized tissue width (KTW). The primary outcome variable was complete root coverage. RESULTS Neither allergic reactions nor soft tissue irritations or matrix exfoliations occurred. Postoperative pain and discomfort were reported to be low, and patient acceptance was generally high. At 12 months, complete root coverage was obtained in 2 out of the 8 patients and 30 of the 42 recessions (71%). CONCLUSION Within their limits, the present results indicate that treatment of Miller Class I and II multiple adjacent gingival recessions by means of the modified coronally advanced tunnel technique and collagen matrix may result in statistically and clinically significant complete root coverage. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the performance of collagen matrix compared with connective tissue grafts and other soft tissue grafts.