THE ROLE OF PLATELET-RICH PLASMA IN GUIDED TISSUE REGENERATION

Abstract

Regeneration is defined as the reconstitution of a lost or injured part. This process needs the occurrence of some cellular events during the inflammatory process, such as cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Combining guided tissue regeneration (GTR) with bone grafting has yielded positive results. The inclusion of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in GTR has also been studied, but the literature does not give comprehensive information. PRP is defined as a concentrate of platelets in a small volume of plasma and is considered a rich source of autologous growth factors. Among them are platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), transforming growth factor (TGFs/β1 and β2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and the cytokine interleukin-1. The rationale behind adding PRP to bone grafts is that high concentrations of platelets in a bony defect will increase the local concentration of growth factors and subsequently enhance the bone healing response. GTR with PRP has been used for augmenting deficient alveolar ridges prior to or in conjunction with endosseous implant placement, periodontal tissue regeneration, apical surgery, and maxillofacial surgery. There are reports in the literature that showed that PRP promoted bone regeneration. On the other hand, there are also studies that questioned the clinical efficacy of PRP. Thus, the aim of this study was to review the role of PRP in guided tissue regeneration according to published literature.