Gingival Augmentation Using Injectable Platelet-Rich Fibrin (i-PRF)-A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

• Published in: Journal of clinical medicine Vol. 13; no. 18; p. 5591
• Main Authors: Żurek, Jacek, Niemczyk, Wojciech, Dominiak, Marzena, Niemczyk, Stanisław, Wiench, Rafał, Skaba, Dariusz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 20.09.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Bias; Biological products; Blood platelets; Cell growth; Clinical trials; Collagen; Connective tissue; Fibrin; Genotype & phenotype; Gums; Health aspects; Hyaluronic acid; Insulin-like growth factors; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Methods; Oral surgery; Patients; Physiological aspects; Systematic Review; Tissue engineering; Poland; phenotype; blood platelets; wound healing; gingiva; periodontics; platelet-rich fibrin; platelet-rich plasma; percutaneous collagen induction
• ISSN: 2077-0383; 2077-0383
• DOI: 10.3390/jcm13185591

In recent years, the utilization of blood concentrates in dentistry has become increasingly prevalent. In 2014, the development of injectable platelet-rich fibrin (i-PRF) was achieved. One of the key benefits of i-PRF is its ability to consistently release a range of growth factors. This review aimed to determine whether i-PRF could be used for gingival augmentation. The research involved a search of the PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases using the following search terms: ("microneedling" or "micro needling" or "injectable platelet-rich fibrin" or "i-PRF") and ("gingival augmentation" or "augmentation" or "attached gingiva" or "attached mucosa" or "soft tissue augmentation" or "KM" or "keratinized mucosa"). Of the 668 results, 8 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included in the article. The results of the studies analyzed indicated a significant increase in gingival thickness. Furthermore, some articles demonstrated an increase in keratinized tissue width. The augmentation of the gingival thickness with i-PRF yielded no inferior results in comparison to the free gingival graft, which is the current gold standard, resulting in a superior aesthetic outcome and a reduction in postoperative discomfort. This systematic review allowed the authors to conclude that the use of i-PRF or hyaluronic acid may be the first step towards developing a non-surgical method of gingival augmentation.