A quantitative radiological assessment of outcomes of autogenous bone graft combined with platelet-rich plasma in the alveolar cleft

This longitudinal study evaluated the outcomes of secondary autogenous bone graft combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the alveolar cleft. Thirty-five alveolar clefts in 30 patients with grafted autogenous bone and PRP (PRP group), and 36 clefts in 30 patients with grafted autogenous bone alone (non-PRP group) were enrolled. PRP was extracted from autogenous blood using a plasma centrifuge system (SmartPReP SMP-1000). The density and resorption of grafted bone were evaluated at 1 week, and 1, 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Bone density was quantitatively assessed as an aluminum-equivalence (Al-Eq) value. Moreover, relationships between bone resorption rate and prognostic factors were discussed. Al-Eq values decreased significantly until 3 months, and then increased up to 12 months in both groups. The Al-Eq rate in the PRP group was significantly smaller than that in the non-PRP group at 3 months. No significant differences were observed in the bone resorption rate between the groups. Regarding prognostic factors, continuous mechanical stress affected bone resorption with or without PRP. The authors suggest that PRP may enhance bone remodeling in the early phase, however, PRP seems to be insufficient as a countermeasure against bone resorption following secondary bone graft in the long term.