The purpose of this study is to evaluate histologically the resorption and tissue response of various resorbable collagen membranes used for guided tissue regeneration and guided bone regeneration, using a subcutaneous model on the dorsal surface of the rat. In this study, 10 Sprague-Dawley male rats (mean BW 150gm) were used and the commercially available materials included acellular dermal matrix allograft, porcine collagen membrane, freeze-dried bovine dura mater. Animals were sacrificed at 2, 6 and 8 weeks after implantation of various resorbable collagen membranes. Specimens were prepared with Hematoxylin-Eosin stain for light microscopic evaluation.

The results of this study were as follows:

Resorption : Inner portion of porcine collagen membrane was resorbed a lot at 6 weeks, but its function was being kept for infiltration of another tissues were not observed. Freeze-dried bovine dura mater and acellular dermal allograft were rarely resorbed and kept their structure of outer portion for 8 weeks.

Inflammatory reactions : Inflammatory reaction was so mild and foreign body reaction didn't happen in all of resorbable collagen membranes, which showed their biocompatibility.

In all of resorbable collagen membranes, multinucleated giant cells by foreign body reactions were not observed.

Barrier membranes have to maintain their function for 4-6 weeks in guided tissue regeneration and at least 8 weeks in guided bone regeneration. According to present study, we can find all of the resorbable collagen membranes kept their function and structure for 8 weeks and were rarely resorbed. Foreign body reaction didn't happen and inflammatory reaction was so mild histologically. Therefore, all of collagen membranes used in this experiment were considered proper resorbable membranes for guided tissue regeneration and guided bone regeneration.