Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma on the Healing of Intrabony Defects Treated With an Anorganic Bovine Bone Mineral and Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene Membranes

Background: Regenerative periodontal therapy with a combination of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) + an anorganic bovine bone mineral (ABBM) + guided tissue regeneration (GTR) has been shown to result in significantly higher probing depth reductions and clinical attachment level gains compared to treatment with open flap debridement (OFD) alone, ABBM alone, or GTR alone. However, there are no data evaluating to what extent the use of PRP may additionally enhance the clinical outcome of the therapy compared to treatment with ABBM + GTR. This study aimed to clinically evaluate the effect of PRP on the healing of deep intrabony defects treated with ABBM and GTR by means of a non-resorbable expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membrane.

Methods: Twenty-four patients with advanced chronic periodontal disease and displaying one intrabony defect were randomly treated with a combination of either PRP + ABBM + GTR or ABBM + GTR. The following clinical parameters were evaluated at baseline and at 1 year after treatment: plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD), gingival recession (GR), and clinical attachment level (CAL). The primary outcome variable was CAL.

Results: No differences in any of the studied parameters were observed at baseline between the two groups. Healing was uneventful in all patients. At 1 year after therapy, the sites treated with PRP + ABBM + GTR showed a reduction in mean PD from 8.6 +/- 1.7 mm to 3.1 +/- 1.3 mm (P <0.001) and a change in mean CAL from 10.3 +/- 1.4 mm to 5.7 +/- 1.6 mm (P <0.001). In the group treated with ABBM + GTR, mean PD was reduced from 8.8 +/- 1.7 mm to 3.1 +/- 1.0 mm (P <0.001), and the mean CAL changed from 10.4 +/- 2.6 mm to 5.9 +/- 1.8 mm (P <0.001). In both groups, all sites gained >/=3 mm of CAL. CAL gains >/=4 mm were measured in 83% (i.e., in 10 of 12 defects) of the cases treated with PRP + ABBM + GTR and in 92% (i.e., in 11 of 12 defects) treated with ABBM + GTR. No statistically significant differences in any of the studied parameters were observed between the two groups at 1-year reevaluation.

Conclusion: Within its limits, the present study has shown that, at 1 year after regenerative therapy in periodontal intrabony defects, optimal clinical results were obtained with ABBM + GTR with a non-resorbable barrier, with or without the addition of PRP.