Thin white connective tissue layer covering bone graft underneath d-PTFE membrane?
I have been utilizing d-PTFE membranes for years now for my bone grafts. Sometimes when I remove the d-PTFE membrane, after 4 weeks, to uncover the bone graft, instead of the highly vascular osteoid matrix, I observe a white hard thin layer of connective tissue covering the graft. If I poke a hole with the explorer, it’s like poking a thin sheet of collagen membrane and it would bleed. I’m assuming maybe the thin layer is periosteum? But, I’m not quite sure. Maybe someone has a better idea than me. Thoughts?
3 Comments on Thin white connective tissue layer covering bone graft underneath d-PTFE membrane?
New comments are currently closed for this post.
Dr D
4/26/2018
I don't think it can be periosteum because the periosteum would be under the facial and lingual flaps. Maybe it can be one of the layers from the inner aspect of the membrane ?
Shane Shuttlesworth
4/27/2018
A recent study published in IJPRD looked at this. Here is the pubmed link to the abstract. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27740650
In the study they found dense connective tissue with a large number of fibroblasts, and no epithelial cells.
Mike
4/28/2018
Thanks for the link.
