Evaluation of platelet-rich plasma in combination with freeze-dried bone in the rabbit cranium. A pilot study

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) offers a new and potentially useful adjunct to allograft materials in oral and maxillofacial bone and implant reconstructive surgery. This study compares bone healing in four cranial defects in the rabbit grafted with freeze-dried mineralized bone (FMB) alone, FMB+PRP, freeze-dried demineralized bone (FDDB) alone, and FDDB+PRP. Fifteen New Zealand white rabbits were included in this randomized, blind, prospective pilot study. Four equal 8 mm diameter defects were created in each rabbit cranium and immediately grafted with the above materials. Five rabbits were evaluated at 1, 2, and 4 months. Radiographically, FMB+PRP showed a tendency toward increased bone density over FMB alone, but was not statistically significant (P>0.05), and FDDB+PRP showed a tendency toward increased bone density over FDDB alone, but was not statistically significant (P>0.05). Histomorphometrically, FMB+PRP showed a tendency toward increased bone area over FMB alone at 1 and 4 months, but was not statistically significant (P>0.05), and FDDB+PRP showed a tendency toward increased bone area over FDDB alone, at 1 and 2 months, but was not statistically significant (P>0.05). This study failed to show a radiographic or histomorphometric increase in bone formation with the addition of PRP to either FMB or FDDB in non-critical-sized defects in the rabbit cranium.