Development of a rapid-shaping and user-friendly membrane with long-lasting space maintenance for guided bone regeneration

The success of guided bone regeneration (GBR) surgery depends largely on the use of GBR membranes to maintain space for bone regeneration and prevent soft tissue ingrowth. However, currently available commercial degradable GBR membranes are often limited by poor space maintenance ability and require additional suture or nail for fixation. To overcome these limitations, we developed a rapid-shaping, adhesive, and user-friendly GBR membrane (PLGA film-PGN) with long-lasting space maintenance by immersing an electrospun poly(lactide-co-glycolic acid) film in a photo-crosslinkable hydrogel composed of polyethylene glycol diacrylate, gelatin methacryloyl, and nanosilicate (PGN). The PGN hydrogel significantly improved the mechanical strength of the PLGA film-PGN and endowed it with plasticity and adhesive properties, making it more maneuverable. The maximum bending force that the PLGA film-PGN could withstand was over 55 times higher than that of the HEAL ALL film (a commonly used commercial GBR membrane). PLGA film-PGN also promoted the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of rBMSCs. According to a critical-size rat calvarial defect model, PLGA film-PGN maintained the space within the defect area and significantly enhanced bone formation 4 weeks after the surgery. To conclude, the study provided a novel perspective on GBR membrane design and the multifunctional PLGA film-PGN membrane demonstrated great potential for bone defect reconstruction. A photo-crosslinkable hydrogel, composed of PEGDA, GelMA, and nanosilicate was formulated. The resulting PLGA film-PGN exhibited remarkable plasticity, maintained its shape under external forces, and fostered bone regeneration in 5 mm rat calvarial defects over a 4-week period.