The Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma on the Coronally Advanced Flap Root Coverage Procedure: A Pilot Human Trial

Background: Coronally advanced flap (CAF) has been shown to effectively treat gingival recession. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), containing autologous growth factors, has been shown to promote soft tissue healing. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of PRP in combination with CAF.

Methods: Twenty-four systemically healthy patients participated in this study. A single Miller’s Class I buccal recession defect per patient was treated. These patients were randomly assigned into CAF or PRP + CAF groups. Clinical parameters included recession depth (RD), recession width (RW), gingival thickness (GT), width of keratinized tissue (WKT), clinical attachment level (CAL), probing depth (PD), plaque index (PI), wound healing index (WHI), and gingival index (GI). PRP was prepared from whole blood drawn prior to surgery and applied to root surfaces. Patients were followed at 2, 4, 12, and 24 weeks post-surgery.

Results: Twenty-three patients completed the study. The RD at 24 weeks was significantly reduced from 2.9 +/- 0.5 to 0.5 +/- 0.6 mm in the CAF group (P <0.05) and from 2.8 +/- 0.2 to 0.5 +/- 0.7 mm in the PRP + CAF group (P <0.05). The mean root coverage was 83.5% +/- 21.8% in the CAF group and 81.0% +/- 28.7% in the CAF + PRP group (P >0.05). Fourteen out of 23 patients (60.9%) experienced 100% root coverage at the 24-week postoperative follow-up.

Conclusion: Based on the results of this pilot study, the application of PRP in CAF root coverage procedure provides no clinically measurable enhancements on the final therapeutic outcomes of CAF in Miller’s Class I recession defects.