Erythropoietin Gel as an adjunct to Xenograft in the Surgical Management of Intrabony Periodontal Defects: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Study

Abstract

Aim: The present trial aimed to compare the clinical as well as the radiographic efficacy of Erythropoietin (EPO) gel as an adjunct to xenograft versus xenograft alone in treating intrabony defects. materials and Methods: This research was conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry, Ain Shams University, in the Department of Oral Medicine, Periodontology, and Oral Diagnosis. It was a randomized, double-blind, and controlled study. Twenty-six (stage III) periodontitis patients, with (three-wall) intrabony defects, were randomly divided (Thirteen in each group) into test (EPO gel + xenograft) and control (xenograft alone) groups. The primary outcome was evaluating the changes in the periodontal parameters; the plaque index (PI), sulcular bleeding index (SBI), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) and wound healing by the Early Healing Index (EHI). The secondary outcome was evaluating the changes in the radiographic parameters including the defect fill (DF) and alveolar crest changes. Results: After the first and second weeks, the test group demonstrated a significant EHI reduction than the control group. At six months, there was a significant gain in CAL and DF in both groups with a significantly lower CAL gain and DF in the test group compared to the control group. There was a significant PD reduction with no significant difference between both groups. Conclusion: EPO gel as an adjunct to xenograft may accelerate soft tissue healing after surgical management of intrabony defects. However, it does not enhance the xenograft regenerative outcomes.