Membranes for the Guided Bone Regeneration

Many kinds of membrane have been used for the guided bone regeneration (GBR) technique. However, most membranes do not fulfill all requirements for the ideal membrane for the GBR technique. Among them, collagen membrane has been most widely used. However, its high price and weak tensile strength in wet condition are limitations for wide clinical application. Synthetic polymers have also been used for the GBR technique. Recently, silk based membrane has been considered as a membrane for the GBR technique. Despite many promising preclinical data for use of a silk membrane, clinical data regarding the silk membrane has been limited. However, silk based material has been used clinically as vessel-tie material and an electrospun silk membrane was applied successfully to patients. No adverse effect related to the silk suture has been reported. Considering that silk membrane can be provided to patients at a cheap price, its clinical application should be encouraged.