Study Design Twenty-four patients will be treated using the principles of guided bone
generation utilizing full thickness flap for ridge augmentation. Twelve test patients will
receive guided bone regeneration with intra-marrow penetrations. The positive control group
of twelve patients will receive no intra-marrow penetrations. Approximately, six months post-
surgery, a trephine core will be taken from the grafted site immediately prior to implant
placement and submitted for histologic processing.
Presurgical Management Each patient will receive a diagnostic work-up including standardized
radiographs (periapical), cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan, study casts, clinical
photographs, and a clinical examination to record attachment level, probing depth, recession,
and mobility of teeth adjacent to the extracted sites. Presurgical preparation will include
detailed oral hygiene instructions. Baseline data will be collected just before the surgical
phase of the treatment.
Clinical Measurements
Baseline and 6-month data will include the following (for edentulous area or adjacent teeth
when necessary):
Plaque index
Gingival index
Gingival margin levels: Measured from cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) to the gingival
margin.
Keratinized tissue: Measured from the gingival margin to the mucogingival junction.
Clinical attachment level: Measured from CEJ to the bottom of the clinical periodontal
pocket.
Clinical tooth mobility: Measured by using the modified Miller's Index.
Ridge dimensions: Pre-augmentation and six month healing.
Soft tissue thickness.
Radiographic examination including CBCT
Clinical photographs.
Histologic Measurements
Measurements will be taken for augmented areas:
Trephine core specimens will be evaluated to determine percent of residual graft particles,
newly formed bone, bone marrow, trabecular space, and connective tissue. Step serial sections
will be taken from each longitudinally sectioned core. The sections will be stained with
hematoxylin and eosin. Ten slides per patients will be prepared with at least 4 sections per
slide. For each patient, 6 of 10 slides will be assessed. The mean percentage of vital and
nonvital bone, and trabecular space will be determined for each patient by using an American
Optical microscope at 150X with 10 X 10 ocular grid.
Potential Risks
There are known physical risks linked with bone graft surgery. The potential risks are the
same as the risks of any minor surgery in the mouth. These risks include:
Infection of treated area (usually mild, rare less than 1%)
Mild bruising and/or bleeding (less likely 1-39%)
Mild swelling (more than 40%)
Transient but occasional paresthesia or numbness of lips, tongue, chin or gum (usually
mild, rare less than 1%)
Loss of the bone graft (mild to moderate, rare less than 1%)
There may also be additional risks that are currently unforeseeable.
Adverse Events An "adverse event" refers to any adverse experience occurring during the
clinical study period, whether associated or not associated with the study test articles or
procedures. A "serious adverse event" means any experiences that suggest significant hazard,
contraindication, side effect, or precaution. With respect to human clinical experience, a
serious adverse event includes any experience that is fatal or life threatening, causes a
persistent or permanent disability, requires initial or prolonged hospitalization, requires
medical or surgical intervention to prevent permanent impairment or damage, or is a
congenital anomaly.
An "unanticipated adverse event" is one that is not identified in nature, severity, or
frequency.
Adverse events will be monitored by observing and interviewing the subject during the study.
Subjects who experience any significant problems during the study are to call and discuss
them with investigator. Any suspected adverse event or allergic response is to be thoroughly
examined by investigator. All adverse events are to be reported. All subjects experiencing
adverse events will be followed by the investigator until there is a return to the subject's
baseline condition or a clinically satisfactory resolution is achieved. Adverse events that
are serious or unanticipated are to be reported immediately by phone to the study director
and promptly reported to the institutional review board (IRB), which will include the event
date, description of the adverse event, study treatment involved, and outcome of event.
Examples of expected, but rarely occurring adverse events related to grafting treatment
include clinical observation of infection, flap necrosis, severe inflammation, severe pain,
loss of attachment of the gingival tissue to the tooth, reaction to study materials and
osteonecrosis.
Measurement Techniques All probing measurements will be taken using the University of North
Carolina probe. A masked, calibrated examiner will perform the initial examination and the
measurements at the time of initial surgery. The mentor will check these measurements.
Differences of more than 1.0 mm between examiners will be remeasured by the blinded examiner.
Measurements will again be repeated at the 6-month examination using the same techniques.
Statistical Analysis Means and standard deviations will be calculated for all parameters. A
paired t-test will be used to evaluate the statistical significance of the differences
between initial and final data. An unpaired t-test will be used to evaluate statistical
differences between the test and control groups. The sample size of 12 per group gives 80%_
statistical power to detect a difference of 1 mm between groups. Power calculations were
based on data from previous studies.
Research Materials, Records and Privacy The de-identified data collected will be entered in
an excel spreadsheet, which will be password protected. The data will be stored in an
encrypted computer, which is also password protected. No one will have access to this data
other than the individual collecting it and the PI. No personal identifying information will
be collected or needed for the study analytical purposes.
Significance The results of this study will allow comparison of the effects of intra-marrow
penetrations on guided ridge regeneration in terms of vertical and horizontal dimensions and
histologic bone quality.
The Plaque Index The modified O'Leary plaque index (plaque free sites) will be used to obtain
dichotomous plaque scores at 6 sites per tooth.
The Gingival Index
The Gingival Index will be measured. Scores will be as follows:
0- Normal Gingiva
Mild inflammation: slight change in color, slight edema
Moderate inflammation: redness, edema, glazing
Severe inflammation: marked redness, edema, and ulceration.
Each gingival unit (mesio-buccal, mid-buccal, disto-buccal, mesio-lingual, mid-lingual, and
disto-lingual) of the individual tooth will be given a score from 0-3, called the gingival
index for the area. The scores from the 6 areas of the tooth are added and divided by 6 to
give the gingival index for the tooth.
Standardized Radiographic Technique The Rinn radiographic holder is positioned to allow as
near as possible paralleling technique. Radiographs will be taken at baseline and again at 6
months.
Arithmetic Determinations:
Tooth mobility 0 - Mobility of the crown is within normal physiologic limits.
Mobility of the crown up to 0.5 mm in one direction. Does not exceed 1.0 mm in both
directions.
Mobility of the crown from 0.5 to 1 mm in one direction. Does not exceed 2.0 mm in both
directions.
Mobility of the crown exceeding 1 mm in one direction and/or vertical depressibility.
Greater than 2.0 mm in both directions and/or vertical depressibility.
Examiner calibration:
The data will be compared from indices or measurements taken by the examiner on three
different patients at two different times within a 60-minute period to measure the
intra-examiner accuracy and reproducibility.
A minimum of three subjects are to be recruited to participate in the calibration. The
subjects should exhibit a range of the criteria being assessed in the index or measurements
being performed (i.e., subjects with moderate to severe periodontal disease).
The examiner will score 3 teeth per subject within the same quadrant. The examiner will
measure each subject, calling out the measurements, site by site, while the assistant
records.
Duplicate measurements of the subjects will be taken within 60 minutes following the initial
measurements. The assistant will record the second set of data.
The examiner will not compare the two sets of data at any time during the calibration. The
examiner will not discuss their measurements with the assistant or the subject during the
calibration.
The assistant recording the data will be responsible for handling the data sheets. The
examiner will have no access to any of the data sheets during the course of the calibration.
The data sets will be analyzed for percent agreement. Acceptable percent agreement will
reflect the limits set for the different parameters measured.
Acceptable percent agreement will be: 90% within ±1mm for probing depth, recession and
attachment level and 70% within 0 mm.