Biodegradability of Amniotic Membrane as Potential Scaffold for Periodontal Regeneration

Background In the periodontal regenerative procedure, the membrane used should possess good mechanical stability with suitable resorption time to allow restoration of the lost periodontium. Amniotic membrane (AM) has regenerative potential as a scaffold or barrier membrane due to its various beneficial properties. However, its degradation rate is not clearly reported. Methodology This study aimed to evaluate the resorption capacity of AM and its surface architecture after being subjected to hydrolytic degradation analysis in phosphate buffer solution (PBS). AM was cut into sizes of 10 × 10 mm2 for three replicates. The membranes were weighed before and at different time intervals (days 7, 14, 21, and 28) after immersion in PBS. The degradation rate was determined by the percentage of mean weight loss from the initial weight at different time intervals. The AM surface profile was observed under scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after 28 days of immersion. Results The result shows a 92% loss of weight over 28 days with the highest attained in the first seven days (67%), followed by 7%, 17%, and 1% after days 14, 21, and 28, respectively. SEM of the AM surface before the degradation test showed a polygonal shape forming a well-arranged mosaic pattern covered with microvilli. At day 28, the remaining AM appears as porous surface architecture, irregularly arranged fibers, and no microvilli seen. Conclusions This study demonstrated that over four weeks of degradation analysis, AM was not entirely degraded but had lost some of the microstructure. The biodegradability of AM should be further evaluated to elucidate its stability within adequate time parallel with the tissue healing process in periodontal tissue regeneration.