Influence of the application of platelet-enriched plasma in oral mucosal wound healing

The aim of this study was to describe and quantify the therapeutic value of platelet concentrate on the capillary density in oral mucosal wound healing. The subjects included 10 healthy edentulous patients who underwent bilaterally a sinus floor elevation procedure and a buccal onlay graft with autologous iliac crest bone for maxillary reconstruction. During surgery, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was prepared from a blood sample taken from the patient. After randomization in a split-mouth design, at one side PRP was administered in the wound and at the contralateral side a placebo. At baseline, microvascular capillary density was scored with the orthogonal polarization spectral (OPS) imaging technique and repeated measurements were performed postoperatively on a daily basis until the tenth day, after which measurements were continued weekly until the fifth postoperative week. Ten patients, five males and five females, were included in the study with a mean age of 54.2 +/- 9.1 years for females and 57.6 +/- 6.9 years for males. Donor platelet counts from whole blood had a mean value of 248.5 +/- 13.5 x 10(9)/l, while the value of platelet counts in the PRP had a mean of 975.9 +/- 97.9 x 10(9)/l. Wound healing was significantly accelerated in the PRP-treated mucosal wounds during the first 10 postoperative days. After the second week, no obvious differences between the PRP or placebo side could be noted. PRP has a strong stimulant effect on capillary regeneration in wound healing. These effects are mainly noticeable during the early stages of wound healing.