Freeze-dried bone allografts combined with tetracycline in the treatment of juvenile periodontitis.

Sixteen patients diagnosed as having juvenile periodontitis were randomly placed into one of two treatment groups. Group I received local and systemic tetracycline (TTC), while Group II received no antibiotics. Osseous defects were grafted with allogeneic freeze-dried bone (FDBA) mixed with TTC powder (Group Ia) or FDBA alone (Group IIa). Contralateral defects were debrided only in both Groups (Ib and IIb). Direct reentry evaluation of 104 measurement sites demonstrated significantly greater bone fill (mean = 2.8 mm) and resolution of osseous defects (mean = 72.7%) in the TTC/FDBA-treated group (Ia) as compared to the TTC plus debridement only (Ib) or no TTC-treated groups (IIa and IIb). The results of this study indicate that of the modes of treatment investigated, the combination of local and systemic tetracycline coupled with freeze-dried bone allografts was the treatment of choice for defects associated with juvenile periodontitis.