The effects of lyophilised platelet-rich plasma in third molar extraction sockets and its surrounding tissues

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effects of repeated placement of quantified lyophilised platelet-rich plasma (LPRP) on the soft and hard tissue components.

Methods: Lyophilised platelet-rich plasma was topically placed, and later injected, into fresh sockets using the third molar surgical model, randomised according to the split-mouth approach. The control site received placebo. The application of LPRP was done intraoperatively, one month and two months postoperatively. The measured endpoints included post-operative pain, swelling, trismus, pocket depth at mid-distal adjacent second molar, soft tissue healing, and bone formation (which was assessed radiographically). Fifteen healthy young adults, aged between 21 and 35 years, visiting the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic at the University of Malaya were recruited for this study.

Results: There was no significant difference in post-operative pain, swelling size, trismus, and bone healing within their specific timelines during this study. However, the LPRP group showed significant reduction in pocket depth at the two-month post-operative period, suggesting that LPRP improves soft tissue healing.

Conclusion: Soft tissue healing, measured as the change of periodontal pocket depth, showed significant reduction, suggesting the benefit of LPRP for soft tissue healing. However, bone regeneration and reduction of post-operative sequelae showed no improvement even after quantification and repeated LPRP application.

Keywords: Bone healing; Growth factors; Lyophilised platelet-rich plasma; Regeneration; Soft tissue healing.