Clinical application of a hyperdry amniotic membrane on surgical defects of the oral mucosa.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a hyperdry amniotic membrane (AM), a novel preservable human amnion, as a wound-dressing material for surgical defects of the oral mucosa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A hyperdry AM was used in the treatment of 10 patients who had developed secondary defects in the tongue and buccal mucosa after the surgical removal of cancerous or precancerous lesions. The effectiveness of the hyperdry AM was assessed by scoring its operability during the surgical procedure and by the hemostatic status, pain relief, feeding situation, epithelialization, and scar contracture in the postoperative period. Its usefulness was evaluated by considering its effectiveness and safety based on the absence of wound infection and graft rejection. RESULTS: The membrane was found to be easy to handle as an oral-dressing material. It adhered well to the bare connective and muscular tissues. One lingual case showed slight postoperative bleeding, which astriction then stopped. No remarkable adverse effects were observed in the process of wound healing. The average score of the patients was 11.2 points (10 to 13 points) in the present evaluation, with 14 being the highest possible score. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed the clinical usefulness of the hyperdry AM as an intraoral wound-dressing material. Although the number of cases was small, the results suggested that the hyperdry AM is biologically acceptable to oral wounds and could be a suitable clinical alternative for the repair of the oral mucosa.