Abstract
Recently, we showed that a cementum-impregnated gelatine membrane (CGM) could form periodontal ligament-like tissues around hydroxyapatite (HA) implants. This pilot study was carried out to evaluate the effects of CGM with various amounts of cemental partitles on the healing of peri-implant tissues. Hydroxyapatite (HA) implants compounded with and without CGM were placed in experimentally created edentulous ridges of monkey jaws. After 3 months the animals were sacrificed, and implants were retrieved and studied following preparation with a cutting-grinding system. Histological examination of undecalcified sections revealed that epithelial downgrowth was suppressed by applying CGM to the HA implants, whereas considerable epithelial downgrowth was observed with a large amount of inflammatory cells on HA implants without CGM. The results thus suggest that HA implants compounded with CGM suppress epithelial downgrowth.
