Novel Membrane for Guided Bone Regeneration

Membranes have been clinically used for guided tissue and bone regeneration for decades, but their use in every day clinical practice is rather limited. We developed a biodegradable membrane (InionGTR^™) composed of polylactide, polyglycolide and trimethylene carbonate aiming to improve the properties of membrane. Before application the membrane is treated with N-methyl-pyrrolidone (NMP) to achieve a rubber like consistency, to allow easy handling and manageability in the clinical setting. After placing the membrane NMP diffuses out from the polymer phase into the water phase. The loss of NMP in the polymer stiffens the membrane up and allows space maintenance in the defect area. In addition the influx and efflux of NMP creates a porous surface on the membrane leading to an improved integration of tissues into the porous surface layers of the InionGTR^™ membrane. Therefore, the use of NMP improves the handling in the clinical setting, and allows tissue integration and space maintenance, both important for the outcome of the treatment.