Effect of rhFGF-2/Gelatin-β-TCP on Root Coverage in Beagle Dogs

Objectives: Gingival recession is associated with many clinical problems such as esthetic disharmony, root dentinal hypersensitivity, and plaque accumulation. In spite of providing the best root coverage outcomes, coronally advanced flap combined with subepithelial connective tissue (CTG) graft yielded a histological outcome of a long junctional epithelium with limited amount of bone and cementum at the base of defects. Moreover, the harvesting procedure of CTG is associated with increased morbidity and patient discomfort. Tissue engineering utilizing growth factors as means to promote and accelerate wound healing and regeneration may offer an alternative to CTG. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the effect of recombinant human fibroblast growth factor-2 (rhFGF-2) combined with gelatin/β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) on root coverage in dogs
Methods: This study was approved by the institutional animal care and use committee of Tokyo Medical and Dental University (0160319 A). Gingival recession defects (5 mm wide and 6 mm deep) were surgically created on the labial surfaces of right and left upper canines in 6 beagle dogs. Bilateral defects were randomized to receive either rhFGF-2 combined with gelatin/β-TCP sponge or gelatin/β-TCP sponge alone. The animals were sacrificed 8 weeks after surgery for histological and micro-CT evaluation.
Results: Clinically healing was uneventful, and complete root coverage was achieved in both groups. Regarding Micro-CT results, rhFGF-2/gelatin/β-TCP group demonstrated statistically significant outcomes in terms of bone volume and bone area. Histologically new bone height and new cementum were more pronounced in the rhFGF-2 combined with gelatin/β-TCP sponge than in the scaffold alone group.
Conclusions: rhFGF-2 combined with gelatin/β-TCP is more effective in promoting new bone formation and periodontal attachment than the scaffold alone in artificially created gingival recession defects in beagle dogs..