Effectiveness of Hyaluronic Acid Versus Enamel Matrix Derivatives in the Regeneration of Infrabony Defects. A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Intrabony defects associated with periodontal pockets represent a risk factor for periodontitis progression and additional loss of attachment if left untreated.

Over the years, several strategies have been implemented for their surgically reconstruction with the aim of pocket reduction and clinical attachment level gain.

Grafting of intrabony periodontal defects has been used extensively over the years incorporating various materials, including autogenic bone, demineralized allogenic bone, xenogenic and alloplastic materials. Controlled clinical studies have shown a significantly higher gain of clinical attachment and radiographic bone gain in intra-bony periodontal defects treated with open flap debridement combined with EMD when compared with open flap debridement alone.

Hyaluronic acid (HAc) is a naturally occurring linear polysaccharide of the extracellular matrix of connective tissue, synovial fluid, and other tissues. It possesses various physiological and structural functions, which include cellular and extracellular interactions, interactions with growth factors and regulation of the osmotic pressure, and tissue lubrication. All these functions help in maintaining the structural and homeostatic integrity of the tissue.

In the field of dentistry, in vitro and animal studies have demonstrated that hyaluronic acid prevents oxygen free-radical damage to granulation tissue, stimulates the clot formation , induces angiogenesis and does not interfere in the calcification nodule during bone formation.