Novel Bioabsorbable Bovine Derived Atelo-Collagen Type I Membrane: Characterization into Host Tissues

Abstract

The principles of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) have been used for decades for the treatment of periodontal lesions using barrier membranes to generate new attachment. Guided bone regeneration (GBR) was a principle adopted some years later utilizing a barrier membrane specifically to exclude fast-growing soft tissues from slower-growing alveolar bone. The ideal membrane for GTR and GBR has been defined as having several advantages including being highly biocompatible, well-controlled biodegradable, and possessing a space-making ability. While classic barrier membranes were fabricated from non-resorbable materials, more frequently and more widely utilized in the dental field have been biodegradable collagen barrier membranes. These membranes possess the added advantage that they do not require a second surgical intervention to remove the membrane causing the drawbacks of additional patient morbidity, as well as potential tissue damage and wound infection. Resorbable membranes include synthetically fabricated aliphatic polyesters like poly (L-lactide) (PLLA), poly (L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and their co-polymers, or natural membranes made of collagen or chitosan. Recently, novel lyophilizing and sterilization procedures have pioneered the development of atelo-collagen type I barrier membranes fabricated from (achilles tendon) bovine sources. The advantages of atelo-collagen (type I) are that it provides complete immunological biocompatibility while having anti-bacterial properties facilitating the regeneration of various tissues found in the oral cavity. Here we investigated this novel bioabsorbable bovine atelo-collagenized membrane (BBAM) (ImploSorb®, Bioimplon, Germany) using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and evaluated their biocompatibility in a rat gastrocnemius muscle implant model.