Comparable efficacy of silk fibroin with the collagen membranes for guided bone regeneration in rat calvarial defects

PURPOSE. Silk fibroin (SF) is a new degradable barrier membrane for guided bone regeneration (GBR) that can reduce the risk of pathogen transmission and the high costs associated with the use of collagen membranes. This study compared the efficacy of SF membranes on GBR with collagen membranes (Bio-$Gide^{(R)}$) using a rat calvarial defect model. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Thirty-six male Sprague Dawley rats with two 5 mm-sized circular defects in the calvarial bone were prepared (n=72). The study groups were divided into a control group (no membrane) and two experimental groups (SF membrane and Bio-$Gide^{(R)}$). Each group of 24 samples was subdivided at 2, 4, and 8 weeks after implantation. New bone formation was evaluated using microcomputerized tomography and histological examination. RESULTS. Bone regeneration was observed in the SF and Bio-$Gide^{(R)}$-treated groups to a greater extent than in the control group (mean volume of new bone was $5.49{\pm}1.48mm^3$ at 8 weeks). There were different patterns of bone regeneration between the SF membrane and the Bio-$Gide^{(R)}$ samples. However, the absolute volume of new bone in the SF membrane-treated group was not significantly different from that in the collagen membrane-treated group at 8 weeks ($8.75{\pm}0.80$ vs. $8.47{\pm}0.75mm^3$, respectively, P=.592). CONCLUSION. SF membranes successfully enhanced comparable volumes of bone regeneration in calvarial bone defects compared with collagen membranes. Considering the lower cost and lesser risk of infectious transmission from animal tissue, SF membranes are a viable alternative to collagen membranes for GBR.