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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2021 Feb;92(2):244-253.
doi: 10.1002/JPER.20-0122. Epub 2020 Aug 30.

Microcurrent electrotherapy improves palatal wound healing: Randomized clinical trial

Manuela Maria Viana Miguel  1 , Ingrid Fernandes Mathias-Santamaria  1   2 , Amanda Rossato  1 , Laís Fernanda Ferreira Ferraz  1 , Antônio Martins Figueiredo-Neto  2 , Andrea Carvalho de Marco  1 , Renato Corrêa Viana Casarin  3 , Shannon Margaret Wallet  4 , Dimitris N Tatakis  5 , Marcio Antonio Mathias  6 , Mauro Pedrine Santamaria  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Microcurrent electrotherapy improves palatal wound healing: Randomized clinical trial

Manuela Maria Viana Miguel et al. J Periodontol. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

Background: This study was conducted to assess the clinical, immunological, and patient-centered outcomes of microcurrent electrotherapy on palatal wound healing.

Methods: This was a parallel, double-masked randomized clinical trial, in which 53 patients with ridge preservation indications were selected and randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the control (sham) group (n = 27), palatal wounds, after free gingival grafts (FGG) harvest, received sham application of electrotherapy. In the test (electrotherapy treatment [EE]) group (n = 26), palatal wounds, after FGG harvest, received application of microcurrent electrotherapy protocol. Clinical parameters, patient-centered outcomes, and inflammatory markers were evaluated, up to 90 days postoperatively.

Results: The EE group achieved earlier wound closure (P <0.001) and epithelialization (P <0.05; P = 0.03) at 7 and 14 days after harvest when compared with the sham group. Painful symptomatology was reported less frequently in the EE group than in the sham group at 3-day follow-up (P = 0.008). Likewise, an improvement in Oral Health Impact Profile was reported 2 days after the procedure by the EE group (P = 0.04). In addition, favorable modulation of inflammatory wound healing markers occurred when electrotherapy was applied.

Conclusion: Within the limits of the present study, it can be concluded that the use of a low-intensity electrotherapy protocol may accelerate palatal wound healing and decrease patient discomfort after FGG harvest.

Keywords: electric stimulation therapy; gingival recession; mucogingival surgery; wound healing.

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References

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