Evaluation of the Effect of Injectable Platelet-rich Fibrin on Palatal Wound Healing: A Two-arm Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF) as a potential catalyst for the acceleration of palatal wound healing after subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG) harvesting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Referred patients to the Department of Periodontology with the complication of the gingival recession were examined. Thirty participants were chosen for root coverage surgeries with SCTGs, and randomly distributed into two groups; the study group ( n = 15) with i-PRF was applied, and the control group ( n = 15) without i-PRF. The wound healing index was evaluated on the 7th, 14th, and 30th days of the treatment. Palatal tissue thickness was measured before the treatment and at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd months after the treatment.

RESULTS: The study group improved significantly the early healing over the control group on days 7 and 14 ( p < 0.01), whereas no difference in the first month ( p > 0.05) between the groups. Moreover, the study group showed higher tissue thickness mean in the first and second month ( p < 0.01), but in the third month, there were no significant differences ( p > 0.05) between both groups.

CONCLUSION: The i-PRF has favorable effects on the healing process by enhancing wound healing and increasing the tissue thickness in the palate after SCTG harvesting.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: For clinicians, it is important to know that we can use biological materials to accelerate healing in general, such as i-PRF. In this study, we used it in the palate, which may accelerate the healing so that we can repeatedly use the same area of the patient's palate for more than one occasion faster.