Background: The aim of this 10-year follow-up was to evaluate the long-term results after guided tissue regeneration (GTR) therapy of Class II furcation defects using non-resorbable and bioabsorbable barriers clinically.
Methods: In nine patients with advanced periodontitis, nine pairs of contralateral Class II furcation defects were treated. Within each patient, one defect received a non-resorbable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene barrier (ePTFE; C) and the other a bioabsorbable (polyglactin 910; T) barrier by random assignment. At baseline and 12 and 120 +/- 6 months after surgery, clinical parameters were obtained.
Results: Twelve and 120 months after GTR therapy, statistically significant (P <0.05) horizontal clinical attachment level (CAL-H) gain was observed in both groups (C12: 1.9 +/- 0.5 mm; C120: 1.1 +/- 1.3 mm; T12: 1.9 +/- 0.8 mm; T120: 1.7 +/- 1.4 mm). However, one patient with furcations that had been assessed as Class I 12 months after GTR therapy had lost two teeth after 10 years, and another patient had lost more than 2 mm CAL-H at one furcation from 12 to 120 +/- 6 months post-surgery 10 years after implantation of an ePTFE barrier. Horizontal bone sounding revealed similar bone gain in both groups 120 +/- 6 months post-surgery (C120: 0.8 +/- 1.0 mm; T120: 1.1 +/- 1.1 mm).
Conclusions: CAL-H gain achieved after GTR therapy in Class II furcations was stable after 10 years in 15 of 18 defects (83%). The study failed to show a statistically significant difference in stability of CAL-H gain between group C and T 10 years after GTR therapy.