Effects of atelocollagen on the wound healing reaction following palatal gingivectomy in rats.

ABSTRACT

Collagen membrane preparations have been manufactured with the aim of enhancing wound healing following periodontal surgery. After cross-linking by various processing methods (with ultraviolet radiation or hexamethylenediisocyanate) and to various extents, atelocollagen membranes were applied into dissection sites within palatal gingival tissue. Applied atelocollagen was histopathologically compared with applied lyophilized porcine dermis (LPD) and controls in rats, with regard to the time course of healing. The atelocollagen-applied group showed more satisfactory regeneration of the epithelium and connective tissue in an artificially created gingival defect than did the control group or the LPD-applied group. Epithelial downgrowth along the root surface was significantly suppressed by the use of atelocollagen. In addition, the post-operative inflammatory reaction and foreign body giant cell reaction subsided rapidly after surgery in the atelocollgen-applied group. Our results show that the use of atelocollagen membrane in periodontal wounds should be the method of choice.