Effect of platelet‐rich plasma on the healing of intra‐bony defects treated with a natural bone mineral and a collagen membrane

Abstract

Regenerative periodontal therapy with a combination of platelet-rich plasma (PRP)+a natural bone mineral (NBM)+guided tissue regeneration (GTR) has been shown to result in significantly higher probing depth reductions and clinical attachment-level gains compared with treatment with open flap debridement alone. However, at present, it is unknown to what extent the use of PRP may additionally enhance the clinical outcome of the therapy compared with treatment with NBM+GTR. To clinically compare treatment of deep intra-bony defects with NBM+PRP+GTR with NBM+GTR. Thirty patients suffering from advanced periodontal disease, and each of whom displayed one advanced intra-bony defect were randomly treated with a combination of either NBM+PRP+collagen membrane (GTR) or NBM+GTR. The following clinical parameters were evaluated at baseline and at 1 year after treatment: plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, probing depth (PD), gingival recession and clinical attachment level (CAL). CAL changes were used as the primary outcome variable. No differences in any of the investigated parameters were observed at baseline between the two groups. Healing was uneventful in all patients. At 1 year after therapy, the sites treated with NBM+PRP+GTR showed a reduction in mean PD from 8.9+/-2.3 mm to 3.4+/-2.0 mm (p<0.001) and a change in mean CAL from 10.9+/-2.2 mm to 6.4+/-1.8 mm (p<0.001). In the group treated with NBM+GTR, the mean PD was reduced from 8.9+/-2.5 mm to 3.4+/-2.3 mm (p<0.001), and the mean CAL changed from 11.1+/-2.5 mm to 6.5+/-2.3 mm (p<0.001). In both groups, all sites gained at least 3 mm of CAL. CAL gains of > or = 4 mm were measured in 80% (i.e. in 12 out of 15 defects) of the cases treated with NBM+PRP+GTR and in 87% (i.e. in 13 out of 15 defects) treated with NBM+GTR. No statistically significant differences in any of the investigated parameters were observed between the two groups. Within its limits, the present study has shown that (i) at 1 year after regenerative surgery with both NBM+PRP+GTR and NBM+GTR, significant PD reductions and CAL gains were found, and (ii) the use of PRP has failed to improve the results obtained with NBM+GTR.