Abstract
The combined effect of β-tricalcium phosphate and basic fibroblast growth factor was observed in the regeneration of periodontal tissue in dogs. For this purpose, either β-TCP and FGF-2 (β-TCP/FGF-2 group) or FGF-2 alone (FGF-2 group) was applied in intrabony defects. The control group received β-TCP alone. The tissues were histologically examined at 2, 4, or 8 weeks following treatment. The control group was characterized by incomplete, newly formed bone around β-TCP particles. The β-TCP/FGF-2 group showed a statistically significant increase in both new bone and cementum formation compared to the FGF-2-alone group (76.3% vs. 65.3%, p<0.01; 81.0% vs. 68.3%, p<0.01, respectively).
These findings suggested that β-TCP may be a suitable scaffold for FGF-2 and that the combination of β-TCP and FGF-2 can enhance bone and cementum formation.