A prospective, randomized, single-blind study to compare two methods of treating cystic lesions in the jaw

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the usefulness of a bovine bone substitute material in treating cystic lesions in the jaw with a maximum diameter of <4 cm. In this prospective, randomized, single-blind intervention study of 116 patients, 61 underwent cystectomy with a subsequent filling of the defect using a bovine xenograft, and 55 underwent cystectomy alone. Volumetric measurement of the cysts was performed preoperatively and 6 and 12 months postoperatively using the available digital volume tomography data sets. Follow-up appointments were made 14 days and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Almost complete regeneration was seen in both treatment groups within 12 months, with no significant difference in absolute volume loss between the 2 groups (P=.521). Examination 14 days after surgery revealed a tendency for more wound healing disorders with the use of a bone substitute (P=.077). It was no longer possible to detect any further differences in later examinations. Using bovine bone substitute material has no radiologically measurable advantage over cystectomy alone without defect filling regarding bone regeneration. In addition, there was a tendency for more wound-healing disorders to occur in the bone substitute group.