Use of a Porcine Collagen Matrix as an Alternative to Autogenous Tissue for Grafting Oral Soft Tissue Defects

Purpose: Soft tissue grafting is often required to correct intraoral mucosal deficiencies. Autogenous grafts have disadvantages including an additional harvest site with its associated pain and morbidity and, sometimes, poor quality and limited amount of the graft. Porcine collagen matrices have the potential to be helpful for grafting of soft tissue defects. Patients and Methods: Thirty consecutive patients underwent intraoral grafting to re-create missing soft tissue. Defects ranged in size from 50 to 900 mm². Porcine collagen matrices were used to reconstruct missing tissue. Indications included preprosthetic (22), followed by tumor removal (5), trauma (2), and release of cheek ankylosis (1). Results: The primary efficacy parameters evaluated were the degree of lateral and/or alveolar extension and the evaluation of re-epithelialization and shrinkage of the grafted area. Overall, the percentage of shrinkage of the graft was 14% (range, 5%-20%). The amount of soft tissue extension averaged 3.4 mm (range, 2-10 mm). The secondary efficacy parameters included hemostatic effect, pain evaluation, pain and discomfort, and clinical evaluation of the grafted site. All patients reported minimal pain and swelling associated with the grafted area. No infections were noted. Conclusion: This porcine collagen matrix provides a biocompatible surgical material as an alternative to an autogenous transplant, thus obviating the need to harvest soft tissue autogenous grafts from other areas of the oral cavity.