Resorbable Membranes for Guided Bone Regeneration: Critical Features, Potentials, and Limitations

Lack of horizontal and vertical bone at the site of animplantcan lead to significant clinical problems that need to be addressedbefore implant treatment can take place. Guided bone regeneration(GBR) is a commonly used surgical procedure that employs a barriermembrane to encourage the growth of new bone tissue in areas wherebone has been lost due to injury or disease. It is a promising approachto achieve desired repair in bone tissue and is widely accepted andused in approximately 40% of patients with bone defects. In this Review,we provide a comprehensive examination of recent advances in resorbablemembranes for GBR including natural materials such as chitosan, collagen,silk fibroin, along with synthetic materials such as polyglycolicacid (PGA), polycaprolactone (PCL), polyethylene glycol (PEG), andtheir copolymers. In addition, the properties of these materials includingforeign body reaction, mechanical stability, antibacterial property,and growth factor delivery performance will be compared and discussed.Finally, future directions for resorbable membrane development and potential clinical applications will be highlighted.