The use of calcium sulphate in the surgical treatment of a 'through and through' periradicular lesion.

AIM: This randomized, controlled, clinical study was designed to evaluate the adjunctive effect of calcium sulphate grafts on the surgical treatment of through and through periradicular lesions. METHODOLOGY: Twenty patients each with one tooth showing evidence radiologically of a periradicular lesion wider than 10 mm, with lack of both buccal and lingual cortical bony plates and an indication for surgery were selected for the study. Ten teeth were treated with apicectomy, root-end filling and grafting of the bone defect with calcium sulphate prior to suturing (test group). The other 10 teeth received the same surgical therapy but no grafting with calcium sulphate (control group). The outcome of the healing process was evaluated at 6 and 12 months radiographically following the criteria reported by Rud and Andreasen. RESULTS: At the six- and 12-month evaluation the test group had seven teeth with complete healing and two with incomplete healing, whilst the control group showed three teeth with complete healing, five with incomplete healing and one with unsatisfactory healing. One tooth in each group had to be extracted because of a vertical fracture that occurred during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study demonstrate that the addition of calcium sulphate as a bone graft during the conventional surgical treatment of through and through lesions improves the clinical outcome. Histological analysis is desirable to investigate the quality of tissues formed using the two surgical procedures.

Short-term healing following the use of calcium sulfate as a grafting material for sinus augmentation: a clinical report.

Because of the frequent lack of bone in the posterior maxilla, sinus augmentation has become a commonly practiced treatment modality. Many different materials have been used for augmenting the sinus, and the ideal graft is yet to be found. The present article reports the results of sinuses grafted with calcium sulfate in 2 patients. Bone biopsies were harvested 9 months after the augmentation procedure. In the first patient, 3 titanium threaded-cylinder implants were placed in the grafted area after 9 months, while in the second, 1 acid-etched, screw-shaped titanium implant was placed simultaneously with the graft. Light microscopic evaluation revealed new bone formation with ongoing remodeling and progressive lamellar maturation in the specimens. No remnants of the alloplastic material were detectable in any section, either within the bone or in the medullary tissue. When reevaluated at the uncovering procedure, the implants were radiographically and clinically judged to be osseointegrated. These observations suggest that, when used in the appropriate form and with the proper technique, calcium sulfate is a promising graft material for sinus augmentation, producing adequate quantity and quality of new bone for implant placement.