Abstract Background Fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF‐2) is a novel agent utilized in periodontal regeneration therapy. However, its clinical efficacy compared with autologous bone graft (ABG), a long‐established treatment, remains unclear. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of FGF‐2 and ABG and to assess the impact of patient background factors on outcomes when using FGF‐2. Methods We collected the subjects from January 2013 to September 2023. Clinical outcomes included the vertical bone defect improvement rate (VBDIR) and the probing pocket depth improvement (PPDI). Clinical outcomes between the two groups were compared using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), adjusting for age, sex, smoking history, and hypertension. Additionally, a multilevel linear analysis was performed to assess factors influencing outcomes in FGF‐2. Results A total of 180 sites from 141 patients (FGF‐2: 150 sites; ABG: 30 sites) were evaluated. Both VBDIR and PPDI significantly improved postoperatively in both groups. There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes between FGF‐2 and ABG. In FGF‐2, smoking history was positively associated, while the preoperative bone defect angle (BDA) was negatively associated with clinical outcomes. Conclusions FGF‐2 might exhibit clinical outcomes comparable to those of ABG, suggesting it is a clinically viable alternative for vertical bone defects. When using FGF‐2, patient‐specific factors such as smoking history and preoperative BDA should be considered carefully. The name in the trial registry A survey of clinical practice and evaluation of treatment outcomes of periodontal regenerative therapy using REGROTH at Okayama University Hospital Plain Language Summary This retrospective study compared the clinical outcomes of fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF‐2), a novel therapeutic agent, with autologous bone graft (ABG), a long‐established treatment. A total of 180 sites from 141 patients (150 FGF‐2 sites, 30 ABG sites) were evaluated based on the vertical bone defect improvement rate (VBDIR) and the probing pocket depth improvement (PPDI). Using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), adjusted for patient background factors such as age, sex, smoking history, and hypertension, no significant differences in clinical outcomes were observed between the two treatment groups. Further multilevel linear analysis focusing on the FGF‐2 group revealed that smoking history was positively associated, while preoperative bone defect angle (BDA) was negatively associated with clinical outcomes. These findings suggest that FGF‐2 may offer clinical benefits comparable to ABG in treating vertical bone defects while having the added advantage of being less invasive. However, when using FGF‐2, dentists should consider individual patient factors such as smoking habits and defect morphology, as these may influence treatment outcomes.
Matsumoto et al. (Mon,) studied this question.