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. 2025 Apr 22;25(1):615.
doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-05922-6.

Does platelet-rich fibrin enhance the outcomes of peri-implant soft tissues? A systematic review

Enrica Giammarinaro  1 , Nicola Baldini  2 , Ugo Covani  3 , Maria Menini  4 , Paolo Pesce  4 , Simone Marconcini  3
Affiliations

Does platelet-rich fibrin enhance the outcomes of peri-implant soft tissues? A systematic review

Enrica Giammarinaro et al. BMC Oral Health. .

Abstract

Background: Improving soft tissue quality and quantity around dental implants is crucial for successful outcomes. Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) is showing promise in enhancing wound healing and implant stability. This systematic review aims to evaluate the clinical benefits of PRF in soft tissue regeneration around dental implants compared to standard methods.

Methods: This systematic review adhered to the PRISMA guidelines and utilizing the PICO methodology, investigated the use of Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) in soft tissue augmentation during implant therapy. The primary outcomes assessed include the width of keratinized mucosa and soft tissue thickness, comparing PRF interventions to standard techniques.The study included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and comparative studies, focusing on human patients needing implant therapy with or without PRF. An extensive search of databases and manual references was conducted; data extraction involved assessing study quality and risk of bias, but due to high heterogeneity among studies, a meta-analysis was not feasible, leading to a systematic review of the available literature.

Results: A total of 766 references were initially identified, with 29 being eligible after screening. Nine studies were included for detailed review. The findings revealed that PRF is effective in increasing the width of keratinized mucosa (KT) and soft tissue thickness (STT) around implants. Even if free gingival grafts (FGG) sometimes performed better. However, the differences between PRF and FGG were not clinically significant, and PRF offers lower cost, ease of use, and reduced morbidity. There was limited information on the esthetic outcomes of PRF, with only two studies addressing this aspect, showing mixed results.

Conclusion: Overall, PRF demonstrated positive effects on KT width and STT, but further research with rigorous methodology and larger sample sizes is needed to better understand its impact on implants health and esthetics.

Keywords: Autologous platelets concentrates; Dental implants; Platelet-rich fibrin; Soft tissues; Systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA flow-diagram
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Plot of the risk of bias domains for each included study
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Radar graphic summary of the systematic review on the effectiveness of PRF against CTG and FGG. Values closer to 2 describe more desirable outcomes. 0: Indicates the least desirable outcome or no observed benefit. 1: Represents an intermediate or moderate level of benefit. 2: Denotes the most desirable or optimal outcome
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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