Adjunctive Use of Plasma Rich in Growth Factors for Improving Alveolar Socket Healing: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine whether the adjunctive use of plasma rich in growth factors in postextraction sites could be beneficial in terms of hard-/ Q2 soft-tissue healing and patients' comfort. Materials and Methods An electronic search was performed on MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and CENTRAL. Only controlled clinical trials or randomized clinical trials that used plasma rich in growth factors in the test group were included. The primary outcomes were pain assessment, complications, and adverse events. Secondary outcomes were hard-tissue healing, bone remodeling, and soft-tissue healing. Results Eight comparative studies (5 randomized clinical trials) were included. Four studies had a split-mouth design. Six hundred fourteen teeth were extracted in 338 patients. Only qualitative analysis could be performed. Postoperative pain and the incidence of complications such as alveolar osteitis were consistently lower in the test group. Hard-tissue healing, evaluated by clinical, radiographic, histologic, and histomorphometric techniques, showed significantly better results for the test group in almost all studies. Better epithelialization, keratinized tissue thickness, and healing score were also reported. Conclusion Plasma rich in growth factors may bring advantages in some relevant clinical and radiographic outcomes, such as bone density and soft-tissue healing, after tooth extraction. It could also represent a useful tool for reducing adverse events, complications, and patients' discomfort, although it is still not quantifiable.

Effects of autologous platelet‑rich plasma injections on facial skin rejuvenation

“…In addition, there are no immunological problems and no risk of spreading diseases in allogeneic transplantation (21). Furthermore, PRP forms a gel, which protects platelets from damage and loss during injection, and allows platelets to secrete growth factors for an extended period to maintain a high concentration of growth factors (22,23). The benefits of PRP treatment in skin anti-aging repair come not only from the variety of high-concentration growth factors, but also from its gelatin state, which has plasticity and good support for skin wrinkles, cavities and skin relaxation (22,23).…”

“…Furthermore, PRP forms a gel, which protects platelets from damage and loss during injection, and allows platelets to secrete growth factors for an extended period to maintain a high concentration of growth factors (22,23). The benefits of PRP treatment in skin anti-aging repair come not only from the variety of high-concentration growth factors, but also from its gelatin state, which has plasticity and good support for skin wrinkles, cavities and skin relaxation (22,23). In addition, PRP also contains a large number of cell adhesion proteins, such as cellulose, fibronectin and vitronectin, that may keep skin smooth and tight (24).…”

Three‐dimensional analysis of dimensional changes after alveolar ridge preservation with bone substitutes or plasma rich in growth factors: Randomized and controlled clinical trial

“…It has been preconized that using PRGF not only stimulates bone and soft tissue healing but it also initiates cross‐linked fibrin network formation, provides a barrier against pathogens, serves as a matrix for tissue regeneration, and acts as a reservoir of growth factors for the healing process 33 . In a recent systematic review, del Fabbro et al 34 concluded that the adjuvant use of PRGF could be a useful tool to improve the healing of the alveolar socket after tooth extraction. However, there is a lack of clinical trials that assess the potential of PRGF in alveolar ridge preservation and compare it to the guided bone regeneration techniques.…”

Effectiveness of Autologous Platelet Concentrates in Management of Young Immature Necrotic Permanent Teeth—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Some studies stated that both PRP and PRF positively affect only early healing of hard and soft tissues, with and without significant beneficial effect on final therapeutic outcomes [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. It was also reported that the use of platelet concentrates may positively affect postoperative inflammation and pain reduction [ 23 , 24 ]. However, no systematic acceleration of osseous healing at the postextraction site was demonstrated, suggesting that platelet concentrates produce a negligible effect on bone regeneration [ 23 ].…”