Comparison of ready-made and self-setting alginate membranes used as a barrier membrane for guided bone regeneration

In order to understand the requirements of guided bone regeneration (GBR) involving alginate base self-setting barrier membranes, GBR was performed in the case of bicortical bone defects formed at the tibiae of experimental animals employing self-setting and ready-made alginate membranes. Connective tissue ingress into the bone defects at the skin side of the tibia was observed when GBR was generated utilizing ready-made alginate membrane. In contrast, bone defects were reconstructed with bone tissue when GBR was generated with self-setting alginate membrane formed from aqueous 3% sodium alginate and 3% CaCl₂ solutions. The unreacted aqueous sodium alginate solution inherent to self-setting alginate membrane did not inhibit bone tissue regeneration. Rather, callus bone was formed using sodium alginate as the nucleus. However, when GBR was effected with self-setting alginate membrane formed from aqueous 10% CaCl₂ solution, membrane was too thick and thus regeneration of bone tissue in the bone cavity was prevented. Therefore, we concluded that self-setting alginate membrane is very useful as a barrier membrane for GBR upon appropriate adjustment of conditions with respect to preparation of alginate membrane.